Mountain hiking route patterns and the stay and movements of visitors in Mount Nasu based on beacon data

It is important to understand the actual behavioural characteristics of visitors to develop management systems in natural parks. In this study, we attempted to understand the dynamics of visitors in mountainous areas of natural parks using a beacon system. Specifically, in Mount Nasu where traffic congestion is caused during autumn, the following objectives were achieved: (1) to classify the routes of visitors based on beacon data, (2) to relatively identify the points where visitors concentrate and the sections where the distance between them narrows, (3) to consider the usage dynamics data for park management by beacon systems. The results showed that, first, visitors hiked a variety of routes, second, most visitors stayed at the summit from morning to noon, and third the routes near the points where most of them stayed tended to be crowded. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to avoid congestion for management purposes.