Place Attachment & Arkansas State Parks

Was so proud to work with former Arkansas Tech University student Glendon VanSandt and my colleagues James Maples and Kevin Fink on this!

Also, thank you to all the folks that completed surveys and a huge thank you to Arkansas State Parks for allowing us to visit the parks and chat with visitors. 

Identifying the effects of COVID-19 on visitor place attachment of state parks in Arkansas

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, recreation sites around the country experienced a rise in visitation numbers as residents looked for alternatives to staying home. The researchers hypothesized that the social and cultural changes associated with the pandemic have increased the level of visitor place attachment towards these sites. This research works to identify the level of connection guests have towards Arkansas State Parks (ASP) during COVID-19. Results from this study have shown that attachment towards ASP has grown throughout the pandemic and has increased the likelihood that these visitors will return to the site in the future.

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2023.2185906