Changes in visitor behaviour in Canadian National Parks due to COVID-19: focusing on visitor spatial location and the distance between park facilities and visitors

COVID-19 has significantly altered visitor behaviour in Canadian National Parks (NPs), which are largely composed of forested landscapes that support vital human–nature interactions. To investigate these changes, this study selected six NPs and examined shifts in spatial visitation patterns and their relationship with proximity to park facilities before and during the pandemic. Based on 48,041 geotagged Flickr photos from 2018 to 2023, we employed the Seasonal Concentration Index (SCI), Geographic Concentration Index (GCI), Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), and the Optimal Parameter-based Geographic Detector (OPGD). Temporally, all six NPs experienced a pronounced drop in visitor numbers in 2020–2021, with only partial recovery by 2023. Spatially, visitor distribution remained highly uneven, with hotspots clustered around Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise. However, a gradual dispersion of visitor flow toward less-developed and lower-density areas was observed in recent years. Importantly, COVID-19 shifted visitors’ spatial preferences: proximity to natural features such as rivers became more influential than the traditional pull of accommodations and services. These findings suggest a pandemic-induced reconfiguration of tourism behaviour, favouring more dispersed and nature-oriented experiences, though not necessarily closer to forest interiors. The study underscores the need for adaptive tourism planning that aligns with changing recreational demands and the ecological character of NPs.