From Displaced to Misplaced: Exploring the Experience of Visitors Who Were ‘Crowded Out’ of Their Recreation Destination

Abstract

This article reports on recreationists’ response to being displaced from their recreation destination or activity. Displacement occurs when visitors leave a site or change activities in response to an unacceptable or adverse change in social, managerial or resource conditions. Specifically, displacement as a response to crowding is examined using a blended analysis of qualitative and quantitative data at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA). Repeat visitors who had been displaced in the past from DEWA were asked to evaluate their experience and associated outcomes using qualitative and quantitative measures. Results indicate that displacement occurs frequently and is a problem for visitors, but that it may serve as a successful coping strategy. We found that spatial displacement may serve as a better relief from stress than temporal displacement. The authors suggest that displacement be treated as an indicator of the visitor experience, rather than an outcome.