Managing Tourism and Recreation in Parks and Protected Areas

Dear Colleagues,

National parks are treasures of nature. They boast a wide variety of natural ecological resources and have rich topographic and climatic characteristics. They provide tens of thousands of species with sufficient food sources and diverse living environments, and offer local people access to abundant resources and incomes.

However, since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has played havoc with the global travel industry. As some studies have pointed out, this has given the natural environment a needed period of respite. However, due to the rapid mutation rate of the virus and its highly infectious nature, the tourism industry is still unable to completely resume operation. Although vaccines are in circulation and development, and the rate of the pandemic has eased slightly, the situation is not resolved. This problem has damaged the economy of countries and villages whose main economic income is rooted in tourism, causing great detriment to many people. This problem is relevant in national parks and surrounding villages around the world. Therefore, we want to use this Special Issue to investigate the current state of the tourism industry in relation to national parks in the hardest-hit areas and countries that are in the gradual process of recovery, in an attempt to understand the plight of local organizations and villages and find a solution.

Of course, although we aim to discuss the development of the tourism industry in relation to national scenic spots in the post-pandemic period, this Special Issue is not limited directly to this topic. We will consider issues relating to national parks, tourism, ecotourism, pollution, and rural tourism. We welcome qualitative or quantitative studies, and articles that use applied statistical analysis may also be considered. Original articles and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Hsiao-Hsien Lin
Guest Editor

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