Between tourism and conservation: analysing visitor flows to preserve the natural heritage of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park
THE PROJECT
Motion Analytica, in collaboration with the , has developed a project to quantify and characterise visitor presence and mobility across a selection of key areas within the Park.
Studying the movements of people within major protected areas is essential to ensure an optimal visitor experience while preserving the natural heritage and environmental value of these protected areas.
MAIN RESULTS
01.
Seasonality of attendance
The analyses highlighted a strong seasonality in tourism flows, with significant increases in attendance during weekends and peak visitation periods.
02.
Growth of proximity tourism
After the reduction in foreign visitors caused by the pandemic, the Park recorded an increase of around 15% in Italian hikers and tourists, confirming the strategic role of domestic tourism.
03.
Visitor loyalty
Around 15% of hikers and over 40% of tourists return to visit the Park more than once in the same month, highlighting a high level of loyalty to the area.
04.
Mobility flow analysis
The study highlighted the main mobility patterns within the Park, with flows predominantly concentrated on weekdays and a largely balanced distribution between Italian and international visitors.
THE ANALYSIS
Context analysis to highlight key indicators of both Italian and international tourism in the Park’s reference regions, monitoring aspects such as:
presence trends (foreign and Italian visitors)
regional origin of visitors
distribution of length of stay
distribution of repeat visits to the Park
Analysis by segment and user groups to highlight the main networks of interconnection between the Park and neighbouring areas, supported by a breakdown of visitors by origin (regional for Italian visitors and national for international visitors).
Analysis of mobility dynamics to highlight connections and flows between locations across the region, with details on:
origin and destination of trips
Park entry and exit points
distribution of the number of overnight stays
Analysis of visitor experiences to assess the centrality of the places visited within the overall visitor experience.
These analyses are further characterized by the addition of the visitor’s usual places of residence to accurately intercept tourists:
- Non-park residents, i.e., Italian users whose place of residence is outside the boundaries of the park;
- Park residents, i.e., Italian users whose place of residence is within the park boundaries;
- Foreigners, i.e. all roaming users connected to the telephone network.
Finally, visitors were studied and classified in relation to their behavioral patterns:
- Park hikers: day visitors and returning for the night to an area outside the park;
- Park tourists: overnight visitors in the park area;
- Park residents: Italian users whose place of residence is within the park boundaries.
CONCLUSIONS
The analyses summarized here provide an innovative approach in studying the movements of people within protected areas. Visitors can be quantified and profiled with in fine detail; this was not possible previously through other methodologies such as interviews, hotel data, and surveys at the visitor centers.