Second Homes, COVID-19 Pandemic and the (Not So) “New Reality”

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all forms of spatial leisure mobility, including the phenomenon of second homes. New motives for second home use have emerged: the desire to escape the city crowds in a safe haven, the opportunity to work or study remotely and the need to spend vacations in commercial second homes, which offer more privacy than other accommodation facilities. The study aimed to identify changes in the patterns of second-home use and perception of second-home users on the Island of Krk during the pandemic compared to the period before the outbreak of the coronavirus disease. The research was based on a survey of second-home users. The data were analysed using descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistics (factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and MANOVA) with the IBM SPSS Statistics software. Changes in the perception of second-home use on the Island of Krk were noticeable. However, depending on the indicator, they did not manifest in significant differences compared to the pre-pandemic period and were present among 15% to 30% of second-home users.