The Transformation of Hot Spring Destinations in Taiwan in a Post-pandemic Future: Exploring the COVID-19 Impacts on Hot Spring Experiences and Resilience of Local Residents from a Posttraumatic Growth Perspective

The natural and men-made disasters have been challenging for tourism destinations. After the COVID-19 outbreak, hot spring destinations have experienced deep recession but also found ways to survive. However, prior research on hot spring tourism has mainly focused on the demand side. Thus, this study aims to explore residents’ view on the COVID-19 impacts on their hot spring experiences and resilience from a posttraumatic growth perspective. A total of 315 residents from 13 different hot spring destinations in Taiwan were recruited. The study then used PLS-SEM for data analysis. The results show that the COVID-19 impacts significantly enhanced residents’ individual and community resilience, as well as improving their hot spring experiences. Hot spring experiences helped improve individual resilience, which subsequently strengthened community resilience. However, community resilience was not affected by hot spring experiences. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications were also provided.