Social distancing and beach open spaces: Recreational experiences of tourists at Bangsaen beach after the pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic mandates social distancing and demands mental rejuvenation. Social distancing caused the city to reorganize the beach open spaces and management strategies, which allow visitors a chance of rest and recuperation. The creation of sandy beach open spaces and realignment of umbrella seating zones effected the recreational experiences of tourists. The objective of this study was to find out what are tourists’ recreational experiences at this beach, to seek out the spatial experiences of visitors, and to understand certain deficiencies in current tourism settings. The authors conducted the field survey using both open-ended questions and a closed-end questionnaire to investigate visitors’ Recreation Experience Preferences (REP) with four major domains: personal use of beach open spaces, usage of beach open spaces, social activities, and long-term goals, along with 23 attributes. Secondary data of satellite historical images and tourism statistical data were used to further analyze the land use and activities to further understand visitors’ spatial experiences. The study confirmed that creation of sandy beach open spaces and realignment of umbrella seating zones effected the recreational experiences of tourists positively. This study suggests further investigation on beach development plan with separated functional zones to improve spatial experiences.