During the height of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, millions of people were confined to their homes or allowed only limited travel. Sooner or later, depending on personal circumstances, like the condition and size of one’s home, people wanted time outdoors—time to be out in the open, under a blue sky and in nature.
A recent study published in Science of The Total Environment estimated that Europeans across 14 EU Member States spend more than £700 billion (USD $853 billion) a year on recreational visits to water bodies, such as lakes, rivers and beaches. It’s easy to lose sight of how much we value the experience of being outdoors and in nature until it’s taken from us.
The results also found that water quality was an important determinant in where people travelled. Areas with good water quality received more visits than those with poor quality.