Environmental effects of tourism and its seasonality on Mediterranean islands: the contribution of the Interreg MED BLUE
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Environmental effects of tourism and its seasonality on Mediterranean islands: the contribution of the Interreg MED BLUEISLANDS project to build up an approach towards sustainable tourism Cristina Andolina1,2 · Geraldina Signa1,2 · Agostino Tomasello1 · Antonio Mazzola1,2 · Salvatrice Vizzini1,2 Received: 4 June 2020 / Accepted: 12 September 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The Mediterranean basin is amongst the world’s main tourist destination, and its islands are a major attraction, being sites of historical, cultural and naturalistic importance. This is beneficial for the local economies, but it may also represent a great burden on the coastal environment, where other human pressures are concentrated. The awareness of detrimental side effects of tourism together with the importance to take into account social and economic facets has led to the concept of sustainable tourism, which, however, represents a goal far from being attained. A good opportunity to promote sustainable tourism was provided by the Interreg MED BLUEISLANDS project, whose main aim was to identify, address and mitigate the effects of the seasonal variation of waste generated by tourism on Mediterranean islands. Here, we present the methodological framework of the project aimed at biomonitoring coastal seawater in highly touristic sites using macroalgae as valuable bioindicators of seawater quality and improving its status through the implementation and assessment of mitigation measures that included also the involvement of stakeholders. Outcomes of the project highlighted the effectiveness of such an integrated approach, confirming the importance of choosing proper indicators and tools that can support the development of management plans aiming to mitigate environmental impact and foster sustainable tourism. Keywords Sustainability · Coastal management · Waste · Mitigation · Stakeholders · Microalgae · Bioindicator
* Geraldina Signa [email protected] 1
DiSTeM, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, via Archirafi, 18, Palermo, Italy
2
CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
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1 Introduction Islands are generally considered unique destinations to spend peaceful and idyllic holidays. The natural potential of the islands as “3S” destination (sun, sand and sea), viewed as the exact opposite to urbanized life, represents the foundation of the boom of mass tourism that interested many islands since the middle of the last century (Carlsen and Butler 2011). In particular, the impressive cultural heritage, coupled with the richness of natural sceneries and the mild climate, make Mediterranean islands among the major tourist destinations worldwide, substantially contributing to a great economic growth (Apostolopoulos and Gayle 2002). However, tourism cannot be viewed simply as an economic activity, having a great influence on socio-cultural and environmental aspects, especially in the islands where the i
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