The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Tourism in a Rural Borderland National Park: Evidence from Bohemian Switzerland

Abstract

This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the volume and spatial distribution of recorded passages in a rural borderland national park, using the Bohemian Switzerland National Park as a case study. The region is embedded in transnational day-trip and cross-border mobility systems and is therefore particularly sensitive to disruptions of international movement. The paper questions the widespread assumption that rural tourism is inherently resilient during the pandemic. The analysis utilizes automatic pedestrian counter data from 2019 to 2022, with 2019 serving as the baseline, combined with spatial analysis and a functional–visibility typology of monitoring locations. Quantitative results are contextualized by desk research on mobility restrictions and accommodation statistics. The findings reveal a pronounced and lasting decline in recorded passages at monitored sites, particularly during periods of border closures, with the greatest losses occurring at flagship attractions that rely heavily on foreign day-trippers. A temporary redistribution toward peripheral routes occurred but weakened as restrictions eased, indicating that tourism resilience in border regions is highly context-dependent.