ABSTRACT

This article draws upon the findings of an exploratory qualitative study of regional South Australian tourists' nature-based tourism experiences during COVID-19. Through the implementation of focus group interview sessions with participants across three age group categories, it was evident that many participants had visited nature-based settings in pursuit of health benefits. From the perspective of physical health, national parks and conservation areas were identified as “risk averse” backdrops that allowed exercise to be undertaken. From the perspective of mental health, nature-based tourism spaces acted as “mental sanctuaries” that supported wellbeing and enabled visitors to temporarily escape the stresses of COVID-19. Respondents aged under 30 reported a greater connectedness with nature and had positively re-evaluated the benefits of nature-based tourism. This article offers valuable insights into the role of nature-based tourism settings in supporting regional populations during the continuation of COVID-19 or other crises that present challenging times or hardship.

摘要

本文借鉴了对南澳大利亚地区游客在 COVID-19 期间基于自然的旅游体验的探索性定性研究的结果。通过对三个年龄段的参与者进行焦点小组访谈，很明显许多参与者访问了基于自然的环境以追求健康益处。从身体健康的角度来看，国家公园和保护区被确定为允许进行锻炼的“规避风险”背景。从心理健康的角度来看，以自然为基础的旅游空间充当了“心理避难所”，支持健康，使游客能够暂时摆脱 COVID-19 的压力。30 岁以下的受访者表示与自然的联系更紧密，并积极重新评估了以自然为基础的旅游的好处。本文提供了宝贵的见解，以了解在 COVID-19 或其他呈现具有挑战性的时期或困难的危机期间，基于自然的旅游环境在支持区域人口方面的作用。