Outdoor Recreation Habits of People in Latvia: General Trends, and Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Edgars Jūrmalis, Zane Lībiete and Arta Bārdule
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Edgars Jūrmalis: Latvian State Forest Research Institute, “Silava”, 111 Rigas Str., LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Zane Lībiete: Latvian State Forest Research Institute, “Silava”, 111 Rigas Str., LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Arta Bārdule: Latvian State Forest Research Institute, “Silava”, 111 Rigas Str., LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: Outdoor recreation opportunities are crucial for sustaining people’s physical and mental health, and forests are important recreational venues in Europe, especially in its northern part. Our study sought to characterise outdoor recreation patterns and their changes in Latvia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a representative population survey with public participatory GIS elements that allowed the respondents to map their favoured recreation destinations. Our results revealed increased visitor numbers to nature areas during COVID-19. The main stated psychosocial factors behind the increased frequency of nature visits are health benefits and lower perceived risks in the context of the pandemic. Forests as areas simultaneously providing multiple ecosystem services have significant importance in providing space for outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation hotspots concentrate around major urban areas and in some of the largest and most popular nature areas.

Keywords: outdoor recreation; COVID-19 pandemic; survey; participatory GIS; spatial analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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