Post-pandemic changes in recreational destinations: The impact of hiking tourism on three Czech case study regions

Abstract

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a noticeable portion of the tourism flows have shifted from urban destinations to nature-based tourism destinations. The increased number of hikers to such regions, which manifests in a new form of overtourism, exerts pressure on the sensitive landscapes. This study examines these changes based on three mountain and natural destinations from the perspective of the local population. The automated text-mining approach of 996 open comments provides topics and sentiments using machine learning techniques. Results reveal insight into problematic areas (traffic, real estate, infrastructure, and behavior) and offer destination management organizations and local authorities solutions for the sustainable management of tourism flows in mountain areas to safeguard natural attractions for recreational purposes for future generations.