Understanding the New Characteristics and Development Strategies of Coastal Tourism for Post-COVID-19: A Case Study in Korea

Jun-Ik Sohn, Abhinav Alakshendra, Hyun-Jung Kim, Kyu-Han Kim and Hyun-Dong Kim
Additional contact information
Jun-Ik Sohn: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA
Abhinav Alakshendra: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA
Hyun-Jung Kim: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA
Kyu-Han Kim: Department of Civil Engineering, Catholic Kwandong University, Gangneung 641-28, Korea
Hyun-Dong Kim: The Korean National Section, The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC), B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak has restricted international travel, halting tourism globally. Thus, travel demand has shifted from international to domestic destinations. The prolonged travel restriction has changed travel trends and travelers’ behaviors, adversely affecting the tourism industry worldwide. This study attempted to understand and examine the changes in travel preferences, such as choice of destinations, activities, and transportation modes, following the COVID-19 outbreak. This study used primary survey data of 200 respondents collected in June 2020 and secondary survey data collected by the Korea Tourism Organization in 2015 and 2017. The study also examined the role of the government in supporting strategies to prepare for the post-COVID tourism landscape. The analysis showed that the pandemic has caused travelers to favor short-haul destinations where non-contact (socially distanced) travel is possible. The study also found that the distributed land strategy that can make “ untact ” tourism a possibility could boost the struggling tourism industry.

Keywords: coastal tourism; travel behaviors; tourism development; distributed development; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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