Tourism and recreation in Polish national parks based on social media data

Abstract

Motives: Matters related to monitoring recreational use of national parks and identifying sites with high cultural values of ecosystem services are essential elements for the efficient management of these areas. Aim: The objectives of this study were to: 1) recognize the spatio-temporal distribution of activities in national parks by users of selected social media platforms; 2) identify the locations with the highest activity among the various groups visiting the national parks; 3) identify the locations (hot spots) with the highest potential for providing cultural ecosystem services (CES). Results: The spatial and temporal distribution of activities among various user groups in the national park areas was displayed using data from social media platforms and applications. Additionally, CES hotspots for the five most popular national parks were found.