How the COVID-19 pandemic changed forest visits in Switzerland: Is there a back to normal?

Abstract

Lockdown measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in people’s visits to forests and urban green spaces. However, as vaccination efforts progressed and infection rates declined, it remained uncertain whether forest visitation levels would return to pre-pandemic norms or even decreased. To explore the post-crisis status of forest visits, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using data from a representative online panel survey conducted in Switzerland. Specifically, we compared data collected one week prior to the lockdown (in March 2020), on visit frequency, duration, activities and locations visited, with data collected two weeks after the lockdown was enforced (2020), and also with data from the summer of 2021. We aimed to determine if forest visitation had returned to normal by the time of the third survey. Our findings indicate that during times of crisis, visitation patterns and recreational preferences in urban green spaces, such as forests, undergo changes, with some of these changes exhibiting greater persistence than others. Meanwhile the activities during a forest visit as well as motivations of forest visits seem to return to their initial levels after the crisis, for example, the changes in the frequency or lengths of the visits appear to be more persistent. Recognizing and understanding these changes are crucial for urban planners and forest management authorities to adapt policies and effectively address the evolving needs of visitors.