Are you okay with overtourism in forests? Path between crowding perception, satisfaction, and management action of trail visitors in South Korea

In forest tourism, overtourism and overcrowding can have ecological and environmental impacts, overburden management systems, and negatively impact visitor experiences. Management approaches to address overtourism and crowding can be conservationist or developmentalist, depending on visitors' crowding perception. This case study field surveyed 581 visitors on a forest trail in South Korea. Differences in crowding perception, satisfaction, contingent valuation, and management action were analyzed by using visitor demographics and visiting season. Their interrelation path was investigated using a structural equation model. The acceptable level of person at one time (PAOT) was determined using an in-situ visual experiment. Sex and age of respondents did not impact crowding perception and satisfaction; however, acceptable level of PAOT and satisfaction with trail difficulty were higher as the age increased. Respondents perceived encounter frequency and crowding between visiting seasons differently. Satisfaction decreased when visitors evaluated more crowding. Crowding norm curves were developed for each of the responses for acceptable level of PAOT in the visual experiment; older visitors were more tolerant of overcrowding than younger visitors. The path between perceived encounters, evaluated crowding, and norms was confirmed. Preferred management actions were affected by crowding perception, satisfaction with facilities and trail difficulty, and age. In the East Asian context, where population density and need for forest tourism are high, this study suggests that visitors' crowding perception should be thoroughly considered in carrying capacity management in forest tourism.