Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on mass tourism concentrations, such as Las Vegas. It argues that health risks and perceptions may induce a more deconcentrated pattern of mass tourism, with more geographical dispersion to rural and natural areas. The analytical framework is modeled and applied to extensive data on Las Vegas tourism. The proposition on deconcentrated tourism concentrations is confirmed. Pre-pandemic outer-inner city complementary relations between “Outdoor Activities” in 11 surrounding national parks and the “Gaming Industry” in Las Vegas have transformed into outer-inner city substitution relations in the COVID-19 pandemic. This represents the evolving deconcentration of tourism concentration facing the growing uncertainty in an inner-city due to health risks in a pandemic. Availability of diversified tourism resources may dampen the shock to a concentrated tourism destination such as Las Vegas when effectively linked to the decentralized but easily accessible tourism resources in dispersed rural and natural areas.
Highlights
Impact Model of the COVID-19The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a new view on the relationship between sustainable development and worldwide tourism
The present study aims to assess the tourism implications for Las Vegas as a center of mass tourism and addresses the question of whether health concerns may be responsible for significant changes in the geography of tourism in this area
“Outdoor Activities” in the 11 national parks and “Gaming Industry” in Las Vegas confirms that pre-pandemic complementarity relations became weakened in the COVID-19 pandemic period and transformed into substitution relations
Summary
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a new view on the relationship between sustainable development and worldwide tourism. Density and proximity were increasingly seen as negative sustainability externalities, with the consequence that tourists and recreationers were re-discovering spacious and green areas ranging from urban parks to regional or national parks. Such green areas were not completely serving as substitutes for densely populated tourism centers, but to some extent, they acted as complimentary amenities mitigating COVID-19 infections. The present study aims to assess the tourism implications for Las Vegas as a center of mass tourism (mainly gambling and entertainment activities) and addresses the question of whether health concerns may be responsible for significant changes in the geography of tourism in this area.
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