Visitors' perception of crowding at Iguaçu National Park (PR, Brazil)

Abstract

The Iguaçu National Park is the 2nd most visited national park in Brazil, receiving around 1.7 million visitors annually. There are still few studies in the country regarding the satisfaction of visitors and their crowding perceptions. The methodology included data collection through questionnaires with visitors, containing open and closed questions and using photos of the area across a spectrum of low, medium and high numbers of people recreating in the setting. Images were also captured with "trap" cameras (e.g., game cameras), for later comparison of the data with the interviews. It was observed that the visitors that were interviewed between 2017 and 2018 were satisfied with the UC and that despite the intense level of visitation, they did not feel crowded and prefer a scenario with high numbers of visitors. It should be noted that, as this research was carried out before the COVID-19 pandemic, this perception in a more current research may be different, if the same methodology were used again.