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Abstract

This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel patterns and visitor spending within Maine using data from the social media site Flickr. The authors compared the geographic information attached to Flickr photo posts in Maine before and after March 2020 when pandemic travel restrictions began to be implemented. Maps show that Maine visitors shifted to more northern, rural, and inland areas. The direct economic impact of these patterns are indicated through the correlation of Flickr photo posts to sales tax data. Lastly, we examined divergent movement patterns and social media use of visitors coming from places with and without travel restrictions. Flickr photo analysis can be a safe, cost-effective, accessible way to help assess policy and develop tourism management strategies, especially useful during a time of rapid change and public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

First page

56

Last page

61

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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.53558/ldvl2781

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