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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on nature-based recreational activities. Outdoor recreation became popular as an alternative to international travel with less risk of contagion. However, the question remains whether there was an enduring change in the role of natural resources in driving visitors. This study investigates the relevance of recreational waters, particularly lakes and beaches, to changes in patterns of domestic visitors to South Carolina between 2019 and 2023. All counties showed growth in recreational visitors, as well as diversification of visitors. However, the magnitude of the increase showed a significant difference based on geographical factors. Eight coastal counties showed a smaller increase in in-state visitor numbers compared to the rest. Counties located closer to five major lakes exhibited a greater growth in out-of-state visitor demand. Additionally, being close to major lakes was related to a greater increase in the diversity of visitor demand. Our findings signify the shifting demand for recreational waters in South Carolina, from coastal to lake. From an economic perspective, this shift can promote local businesses that target lake visitors. Additionally, diversified visitor demand supports the resilience of the hospitality and tourism sectors. However, this also raises the need to anticipate and prepare for a broader impact of increased recreational demand for lakes, such as disturbances to their ecosystems.

Keywords

water recreation, visitor demand patterns, COVID-19 pandemic, mobility big data

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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