Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 on Travel and Search Distances for Prominent Landmarks: Insights from Google Trends, X, and Tripadvisor

Jiping Cao (), Hartwig H. Hochmair (), Andrei Kirilenko and Innocensia Owuor
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Jiping Cao: Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA
Hartwig H. Hochmair: Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Davie, FL 33314, USA
Andrei Kirilenko: Department of Tourism Hospitality and Event Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32511, USA
Innocensia Owuor: Libraries and School of Information Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA

Geographies, 2024, vol. 4, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected people’s travel behavior and travel desires, particularly regarding trips to prominent destinations. This study explores the pandemic’s impact on travel behavior and online search patterns for 12 landmarks across six continents, utilizing data from three online platforms, i.e., Google Trends, X, and Tripadvisor. By comparing visitation and search behavior before (2019) and during (2020/2021) the pandemic, the study uncovers varying effects on the spatial separation between user location and landmarks. Google Trends data indicated a decline in online searches for nearby landmarks during the pandemic, while data from X showed an increased interest in more distant sites. Conversely, Tripadvisor reviews reflected a decrease in the distance between users’ typical review areas and visited landmarks, underscoring the effects of international travel restrictions on long distance travel. Although the primary focus of this study concerns the years most affected by COVID-19, it will also analyze Tripadvisor data from 2022 to provide valuable insights into the travel recovery beyond the pandemic.

Keywords: pandemic; travel behavior; big data; social media; point of interest (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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