Uses and Preferences of Visitors to Coastal Wetlands in Tourism Destinations (Costa Brava, Spain)

Pueyo-Ros, Josep; Ribas, Anna; Fraguell, Rosa M.

doi:10.1007/s13157-017-0954-9

Socioeconomic aspects of Wetlands
Published: 22 September 2017

Uses and Preferences of Visitors to Coastal Wetlands in Tourism Destinations (Costa Brava, Spain)

Wetlands volume 38, pages 1183–1197 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

The local development policies of coastal tourism destinations are frequently focused on popular resources, such as beaches, and tend to overlook coastal wetlands, which are often located in the interstitial spaces of urbanistic transformations caused by mass tourism and considered untended marginal sites. This article investigates the uses and preferences of visitors to these wetlands with the goal of increasing cultural sustainability, improving conservation and strengthening management policies. Although the results show that almost all the current uses of coastal wetlands are recreational (such as cycling, running and walking), visitors have indicated that the positive aspects of these sites are related to their landscape quality and degree of naturalness. The results also suggest that although repeat visitors are aware of wetlands’ value, increasing the consciousness of local inhabitants regarding their value is important for prioritising local policies designed to promote the conservation of wetlands located at coastal tourism destinations. Finally, our study results indicate that improving cultural sustainability is compatible with improving the ecological status of coastal wetlands.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are pleased to mention their collaboration with Maria Blanco in the survey collection. This article is part of the project “Analysis of the trends and resilience strategies in use and water consumption in tourist areas. The case of Costa Brava” [number CSO2010-17488], which is funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain). The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (Spain) funds the PhD student grant to the first author [number FPU13/00663].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Department of Geografia, Universitat de Girona, Pl. Ferrater Mora, 1, 17071, Girona, Spain
Josep Pueyo-Ros, Anna Ribas & Rosa M. Fraguell

Authors

Josep Pueyo-Ros
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Anna Ribas
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Rosa M. Fraguell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Josep Pueyo-Ros.

Appendix 1: Coding process

Question: Why do you visit this site?

Code	Subcode	Answer
Aesthetical	Nature	To walk and watch birds
		To visit a natural site
		Interested in nature
		To breath fresh air
		To watch birds
		Nature
		To visit natural areas and swamps
		Swamps
	Landscape	Landscape
		It is beautiful to walk
		Landscape
		To watch a river
		Photographic report
		To enjoy landscape
		To know surroundings To walking
		Landscape
		Landscape
		Landscape
		To enjoy landscape
		It is very beautiful to walk
		To take pictures
		To enjoy landscape
		To visit the site
Recreational	Bicycle	Bicycle
		Bicycle
		Bicycle
		Bicycle
		Bicycle touring
		Burricleta (electric bike)
		Bicycle touring
		Bicycle
		Bicycle
		Bicycle
	To walking	To walk for health
		To walk
		To walk
		To do a tour
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk quiets
		To do a tour
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk and do sport
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk and the beach
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To walk
		To do a tour
		To walk
	Running	To run
		Sport
		To run
		Sport
		To run and do sport
		To do sport
		To do fitness
		To do sport
		To do sport
		To do sport
	Dog	To take the dog for a walk
		To take the dog for a walk
		To take the dog for a walk
		To take the dog for a walk
		To take the dog for a walk
		Dog
		To take the dog for a walk
		Dogs
To take the dog for a walk
To take the dog for a walk and go out
To take the dog for a walk
To take the dog for a walk
To take the dog for a walk
Without	Others	By chance, to sleep
		By the way to home
		Diving
		By job
		We are coming from shopping
		To control mosquitos
		To work
	Beach	To take the dog to beach
		To take the dog to beach
		Beach
		Beach
		To go to beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		To the beach
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		The beach is dog-friendly
		To go to beach
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		Beach
		It is close to l’Estartit and is a quiet beach
		Beach and take the dog for a walk
		To go to beach and bird-watching
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		Because the beach is dog-friendly
		Beach
		Beach
		Beach
		This beach is close
		To spend the day
		To take my partner
		Beach
		To “investigate” new beach and natural areas
Quietude	Quietude	Calm
		Calm
		To walk alone and quiet
		Calm
		Quiet
		To rest

Which aspects of this site are negative?

External	Climate	Too much hot
	Climate	Too arid
	Little beach	Little beach
Wildlife	Wildlife	Mosquito
		Mosquito
		Mosquito
		Mosquito
		Mosquito
		Gull
		Too many gulls
Poor_management	Accessibility	No sign posts to arrive
		Little signalized to arrive
		Stones in paths
		Bad access for elderly
		Not conditioned for tourists
		No advices about wildlife refugee
		They are removing promenade
		Paths
		Unfinished promenade
		Arrival path is neglected
	Dirty	Water is dirty
		It is not too much clean
		No cleanliness
		Dirty
		So dirty because of the dogs
		Unkempt and dirty
		Unkempt
		Litter
		No trash bins
		Unkempt
		Dirty
		Litter
		Bad conditioned
		Dirty and contamination
		Dirty
		Little cleanliness
		Dog excrements
		Dog excrements
		Dog excrements
		It is not too much clean
		It is so dirty
		Dirty
		Dirty because of peasants
	Equipment	No drinking fountains
		Uncared sign posts in paths
		Little signalized routes
		Uncared sign post in paths
		It lacks information, sign posts and trash bins
	Uncared	Neglected by urbanization
		Uncared, broken path
		Bad cared
		Broken
		Too much canes, dirty, butts
		Uncared promenade
		Neglected, uncared
		Uncared, broken path
		Park car and promenade are ruined
		Uncared
		Observation point
	Few people	There are few people
	Restrictions	There are too many restrictions
Nothing	No answer	Nothing
		Nothing
		Nothing, all is right
		Blank (×36)
Visual_impact	Electric towers	Light towers
		Electricity cable
		Electric towers
		Electric towers
	Urbanization	Built part
		Neglected urbanization
		Urbanized segments
		Promenade should be removed
		Promenade and ruins
		Urbanizations in horizon
		Urbanization is unpleasant
		Urbanized area
		Urbanization
		Urbanization
		Area cut up by urbanization
		Close urbanizations
		Buildings
		Buildings
		Urban impact
		Urbanizations
		Golf courts
		Too many buildings
		Accessing streets
Human_presence	Anthrophonies	Too many people are doing noise
	Anthrophonies	Noise from cars
	Contamination	Contamination from rice crops
	Cars	Cars
		Too many cars
		Too many parked cars
		There are too many cars and too fast
		Too many cars and trucks
		To many cars
	Crowded	Too many people and cars
		Too many people
		Too many bikes and people
	Uses	Caravans
	Uses	People don’t respect protected areas

Which aspects of this site are positive?

Quietude	Quietude	Nature and calm
		Silence
		Calm
		Tranquility
		No noise, green
		Calm
		Tranquility
		Calm
		Solitude
		Tranquility
		Tranquility, nature
		So quiet
		Quiet, few people
		Quiet
		Calm
		Quiet
		No buildings, no crowded
		Quiet when there aren’t people
		Beach and silence
		Tranquillity
		Calm
Single_element	Fauna	A lot of animals
		Diversity of birds, rabbits and plants
		Birds and animals
		Bird-watching point
		Birds, rice crops, dunes, beach
		Animals
		Animals
		Fauna and water
		Birds and conservation
		Birds and rice
		Hearing birds and sea
		Fauna
		A lot of birds and plants
		Respected fauna, birds
		Birds and rice
	Rice	Rice crops, wild
		Rice crops and water, green
		Rice crops and birds
		Rice
		Agronatural pattern
		Rice
	Dunes	Conservation of dunes and dog-friendly
		Protection of dunes and few people
		Protection of dunes and beautiful site
		Protection of dunes
		Dunes and saltmarsh
Naturalness	Naturalness	A lot of plants, it’s beautiful
		Clean, as before
		Restoration project
		Vegetation
		Natural
		Natural
		Preservation of nature
		Site is protected, animals, paths and colours
		Naturalness
		Natural
		Virgin
		Nature
		Very natural
		Nature, protected
		Nature
		Freedom and nature
		No buildings
		Naturalness, water, green
		Calm, wild, without houses
		Natural
		Nature
		Nature
		Flora and fauna
		Very natural
		No urbanized, virgin
		The landscape is very virgin
		Very natural
		Conservation, little presence of pesticides
		Plants and birds
		Natural
		Well conserved, no crowded
		Nature and quiet
		It’s well conserved, plants and animals
		Naturalness
		No urbanized, seaside
		Very natural, there isn’t buildings
Nothing	Nothing	Blank (×2)
Landscape	Color	Green
		Green colour
		Very green
		Greenness
		Tonalities
		Green of rice crops
	Contact sea-mountain	The contrast between sea and mountain
		Beach is very close to the mountain
		The view of the sea, Medes islands and the mountains
		Contrast sea mountain
	Diversity	Diversity
		Cohabitation of uses
		Diversity
		Urban and natural landscape, a positive contrast
		There is everything: mountain, sea, crops and so on
		Contrast between green, mountain and sea
		Contrast green and beach
	Generic	Well cared
		Very beautiful site
		It’s beautiful, quiet and with freedom feelings
		Landscape
		Views
		Combination of landscape and sea
		Site is nice
		Freedom
		Beautiful natural site
		It’s beautiful
		Beautiful
		Beautiful
	Sea	The sea and atmosphere
	Mountains in horizon	Mountains, birds and castles
	Relief	Open space, green and water
		Continuity
		Sensation of wideness
		Flat
		Flat
		Amplitude
		Sensation of openness
	Sea views	The sea is very close
	Sea views	Cost views and it’s wild
Recreational	Paths	Flat for bike routes
		Paths and green views
		Flat for walk
		There is a promenade
		There are little paths and it is quiet
	Dogs	Beach is dog-friendly

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Pueyo-Ros, J., Ribas, A. & Fraguell, R.M. Uses and Preferences of Visitors to Coastal Wetlands in Tourism Destinations (Costa Brava, Spain). Wetlands 38, 1183–1197 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0954-9

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Received: 04 March 2016
Accepted: 12 September 2017
Published: 22 September 2017
Issue Date: December 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0954-9

Keywords

Wetlands tourism
Cultural sustainability
Ecosystem services
Coastal destinations
Costa Brava

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Appendix 1: Coding process

Appendix 1: Coding process

Question: Why do you visit this site?

Which aspects of this site are negative?

Which aspects of this site are positive?

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About this article

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