Impact of Increasing Gasoline Prices on Tourism Travel Patterns to a State Park

Abstract

Because tourism and outdoor recreation are highly travel dependent, they are influenced by gasoline prices. Unstable and increasing gasoline prices can affect travel participation, and behavioural adaptations are likely to occur. This paper examines the impact of higher gasoline prices on park visitation and investigates the degree to which certain behavioural and socio-demographic variables mediate the direct impact of gasoline prices on travel decisions to visit a park. The study findings revealed that the influence of increasing gasoline prices on travel decisions was progressively intensified and mitigated by several behavioural variables.