Using GPS tracking data from mobile fitness apps to understand user behaviour in protected areas

Abstract

Protected areas are important environmental conservation sites, but their sustainability depends on effective management to mitigate the negative impacts of nature-based tourism. Data from Mobile fitness apps (MFAs) provide researchers and stakeholders with detailed spatiotemporal information regarding visitor movements, thereby facilitating a comprehensive understanding of visitor behaviour, the implementation of effective monitoring strategies, and the minimisation of tourism-related impacts. Considering the novelty and growth of studies exploring MFAs to understand recreational use in protected areas, it's essential to integrate this emerging field of data science into existing knowledge and establish MFA-based monitoring. A detailed analysis of 26 publications, published between 2012 and 2023, was performed to explore who conducts the research, the main sources of knowledge, where the research is conducted, the core research questions, the data sources used, and which methodologies are employed. Results show that research is primarily conducted by European, Chinese, and Australian scholars within a collaboration network that remains underdeveloped. Studies are mostly influenced by research published after 2010 and focus on visitors' spatiotemporal behaviour analysis and environmental impact assessment. MFAs function as surrogates for on-site visit counts, offering key information that can be utilised for protected area management, promoting sustainable tourism, and ensuring environmental preservation.