Antecedents and consequences of park crowding: Linking park attractiveness, perceived crowding, and revisit intention

Urban parks stand as vital recreational refuges for urban inhabitants. In the face of the growing phenomenon of park crowding, a marked knowledge gap persists regarding its causes and subsequent implications. To address this, our current study puts forth a conceptual model that aims to decipher the complex interplay between park attractiveness, visitors' perceived crowding, and their revisit intentions. We further probe the potential moderating roles of park accessibility and visitor satisfaction in shaping the link between perceived crowding and revisit intentions. Our findings suggest that the attractiveness of a park positively influences perceived crowding. Parks with greater allure tend to attract larger crowds, inadvertently intensifying feelings of congestion. More critically, these perceived congestions distinctly diminish the inclination to revisit and also vicariously affect this intention through the mediating lens of satisfaction levels. Remarkably, enhanced park accessibility exacerbates the detrimental link between perceived crowding and revisit intentions. The insights derived from this investigation shed light on strategies to redress challenges posed by park crowding and mollify its untoward ramifications.