“Lots of animals to see, but that is all”: One-star reviews of national parks and protected areas

Abstract

Millions of people visit the world’s national parks and protected areas each year, motivated by adventure and the desire to see wildlife, scenic beauty, historical and cultural sites, and to get that special Instagrammable photo. Many of these visitors leave online reviews on such sites as Google Reviews, but not all are positive ones. Perhaps surprisingly, some visitors leave one-star reviews (out of five possible stars) for reasons including issues with park amenities, cleanliness, accommodation, service, cost, weather, and the visibility or invisibility of animals. For this study I examine one-star reviews of eight major national parks or protected areas: Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park, all in the United States, as well as Teide National Park in Spain, Beijing Great Wall National Park in China, Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary in Peru, Kakadu National Park in Australia, and Kruger National Park in South Africa. I examine the dominant factors accounting for these low reviews and categorize them by type. The results of this study will both assist park staff in improving visitor conditions and enhance understanding of tourist motivations and expectations.