Coastal Tourism

Sea, sun, sand - and sex

Coastal tourism in Cannes, France

These four ingredients - or at least some combination of them - constitute the key ingredients for coastal tourism. This preference for coastal tourism brings 220 million tourists to the Mediterranean every year and is expected to increase to 350 million in 2020 according to WTO (World Tourism Organisation). Destinations along the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea are also tempting increasing numbers of tourists.

Fifth 'S'
All areas that provide the four S's have the potential to become destinations for mass coastal tourism. But the four S's aren't enough. These ingredients have to be supplemented by factors such as infrastructure, specialized and non-specialized labour as well as safety. Safety is increasingly becoming an important factor. Even though destinations such as the Pacific Islands and African countries have the basic S ingredients besides being inexpensive, security has become a decisive factor for more tourists after terrorist attacks on tourists (f.ex. Bali) and natural disasters (f.ex. Tsunami). Safety issues has made otherwise ideal destinations, not always quite as attractive.

Ups and Downs
Tourism growth has been one of the economic and social phenomena of the 20th century. Within the EU tourism is one the strongest sectors currently generating up to 12% of the Gross National Product (GDP) either directly through employment or indirectly as external trade. The positive effects of employment, progress and regional prosperity are phenomenal. But the downsides are becoming more and more obvious. Coastal tourism along the Mediterranean and other European coastlines is faced with challenges of pollution and other negative effects on the environment. Some locations on the Mediterranean, which were once pristine, are now beyond repair. What tourists once came to see is rapidly disappearing.

Red Alert Signals
Warning signals are blinking. WWF has identified 200 eco regions that are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. One of these globally important regions and one of the most endangered is the Mediterranean. Also WTO  is taking a serious stance on the role tourism plays in the 21st century through a strategic message by UNWTO's President Frangialli:

Climate change as well as Poverty alleviation will remain central issues for the world community. Tourism is an important element in both. Governments and the private sector must place increased importance on these factors in tourism development strategies and in climate and poverty strategies. They are interdependent and must be dealt with in a holistic fashion. This calls for a more responsible growth. Tourism has become both the victim and the vector of climate change. Our sector has to reduce its emissions; it also has to adapt.

Even though EU first ignored environment altogether and made its first environmental policy in 1970, the EU has made much progress since within its legal and institutional framework. There is an awareness of the fragility of Europe's coastal areas, archaeological sites and cultural environment - and the need for integrated policies regarding the coastal areas. We began with the 4 S's pertaining to coastal tourism. Now the time has come for the 4 R's regarding coastal tourism: Restriction, Restoration, Rehabilitation and Reorganisation.
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