Seasonal spatial activity patterns of visitors with a mobile exercise application at Seoraksan National Park, South Korea

Abstract

Visitors' behavior in national parks can be influenced by seasonal variations in climate and preferred activities. Seasonality can produce different space consumption patterns, and impact visitor experience and natural resource use. The purpose of this study was to explore the seasonal spatial patterns of visitors' activities using a mobile exercise application within the context of the Seoraksan National Park in South Korea. A dataset composed of 5142 starting and ending points of 2639 hiking and walking activities created by 1206 mobile exercise application users (January 2015-December 2015) were collected from a leading mobile exercise application operator. GIS-based spatial analytical techniques were used to analyze the spatial patterns of activity points across seasons and days (weekdays/weekends). Results indicated considerable seasonal and daily variation in activity distribution and hot spots (i.e., locations of potential congestion or crowding). The findings enable park managers to protect resources as well as enhance visitors' experiences. Also, it allows potential visitors to decide when to visit certain sites via the mobile application, in order to ensure optimal conditions. Furthermore, the GPS-based mobile application can be used as a new methodological approach to understand spatio-temporal patterns of visitors' behavior in national parks.