Herrier J.-L., J. Mees, A. Salman, J. Seys, H. Van Nieuwenhuyse and I. Dobbelaere (Eds). 2005. p. 625-628
Proceedings ‘Dunes and Estuaries 2005’ – International Conference on Nature Restoration
Practices in European Coastal Habitats, Koksijde, Belgium, 19-23 September 2005
VLIZ Special Publication 19, xiv + 685 pp.
Tourists ecological awareness – key to
understanding human behaviour in coastal
environment
Tomasz A. Łabuz
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Szczecin
Felczaka str. 3a, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland
E-mail: labuztom@univ.szczecin.pl
Abstract
As developing tourism endangers the environment today we should recognise people’s rest
preferences, knowledge and lifestyle to protect and properly use coastal natural values. This paper
shows some conclusions from data collected on the basis of the questionnaire (22 questions and
200 respondents) carried out with tourists in the years 2002 and 2003 on Polish beaches. The main
research question was on what tourists’ ecological awareness depends? In many questions
education, pollution and litters were the main problems pointed by asked tourists. But also it is
clearly visible, that people do not want a lot of buildings and infrastructure close to the beach. For
them bigger value is the natural landscape and environment in which they can really rest.
Keywords: Ecological awareness; Human behaviour; Coastal socio-economic problems.
Introduction
Settlement, tourism and economy development has a negative impact on coastal areas.
Major impacts of tourism industry in coastal areas are (i) infrastructure with hotels,
transport system and garbage, (ii) recreation with human activity, and (iii) coast
protection against abrasion. If the coastal environment is damaged or destroyed, tourism
will decrease. Too less attention for the environment is equal to a smaller number of
tourists and a smaller income from tourism industry. People do not think about threats
for coastal environment. Tourists and citizens of the coastal villages do not have
knowledge about coastal processes and dangers caused by storm and human impact. It is
seen in their behaviour: left litter on the beach, trampled dunes, more and more
construction for tourism close to the beach. If we want to protect and keep natural
environment we should strongly influence on tourism participants to change their
knowledge and behaviour. Today when developing tourism endangers the environment
we should recognise people’s rest preferences, knowledge and lifestyle to protect and
properly use coastal natural values. The critical issue for decision-makers in such matters
would be the empirical question about the degree to which any proposed uses depreciate
the resource. Since the basis of our principle is a respect for the values of others, the
strategy that minimises user impact overall most respect those who argue for
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T.A. Łabuz
preservation and least respect those advocating various consumptive uses (Harman et al.,
2004). A first step in promoting the improvement of the environmental situation is to
make information and knowledge about it available (Ryden, 2003). The ecological
awareness should be
Awareness
Education
understood as defined
level of knowledge about
threats of life and health
resulting from unsuitable
relation of man to nature.
Action
Awareness consists of
knowledge, opinions and
imagination, also values
Fig. 1. Relation of awareness, knowledge and behaviourand norms of the
action (Ryden, 2003).
behaviour (Fig. 1).
Methods and the aim of the study
This paper shows data collected on the basis of the questionnaire (22 questions and 200
respondents) carried out with tourists. Used questions were about (i) knowledge about
coastal environment and its dynamics, dangers, (ii) opinions on its theme, (iii) its value
for tourists, (iv) behaviour presented by tourists in environment. The main research
question was on what tourists’ ecological awareness depend? These researches were
done on beaches of Polish coastal villages in the summer 2002-03 (data in this paper is
only from 2002 research with 100 respondents). The study is the sociological part of an
own research project ANDDY (see in web: polishdunes.szc.pl).
Tourists awareness in the light of their opinion on the coast
To the question about what adds attraction to the seaside landscape and environment,
most of all people answered that it is the contact with the sea, rest on beach and
microclimate. Only few people answered (below 20%) that these are also: promenades,
historic places and museums, recreational infrastructure, park with reservations and
luxurious hotels (Fig. 2). Tourists, observing polluted beaches, dunes, sea and villages
probably understand the threat for nature from human impact. To the question about
kinds of preservation of seaside nature over 60% of the tourists pointed on: taxes and
punishments for nature poisoning, paths to walk, not roads for cars, sewage treatments,
selection of litter and education (Fig. 3). Among the proposed threats for seaside nature
(Fig. 4) most persons pointed quantity of litters and waste material (79%), absence of
sewage treatments (67%) and the increading number of tourists (54%). For most
respondents the presence of large numbers of tourists in little seaside villages is the
threat for nature (81%). Infrastructure development close to the beach is a major problem
of tourism development and for coastal protection. In a separate question about these
investments only 10% of the tourists answered: ‘yes - it should be built close to the
beach’ (restaurants, hotels), but 65% answered: ‘no!’. To the question with a picture of a
natural coast and a coast covered by infrastructure (town), 84% of people prefer a natural
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Tourists ecological awareness – key to understanding human behaviour in coastal environment
landscape; only 22% prefer a coast with town buildings. Also 79% of the interviewed
tourists prefer to rest in small villages, because of the calmness, silence and absence of
tourists.
Immediate contac t with sea
Mic troc
limate
Immediate contac
with
sea
Res t on beach (heating,
Mic rocbaths)
limate
Unique
lands
cape
Res t on beach
(heating,
baths)
Clean, not polluted
environment
Unique
lands cape
urban infras
tructure
Clean,Lac
notkpolluted
environment
Numerous
c ultural
entertainments
Lac
k urban
infras tructure
Severity
and spontaneousnes
s of nature
Numerous
c ultural entertainments
Ship exc
ions
Severity and spontaneousnes
s ofurs
nature
Ship exc urs ions 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
%
Fig. 2. Respondents opinion on the theme of what adds attraction to the seaside environment
30% of opinion
answers)on(Łabuz
Fig. 2. (over
Respondents
theme 2003ab).
of what add atraction to the seaside environment )
Put taxes and punishments on „poisoners" of natur e
Build paths to walk, not roads for cars
Educate society about pr otection of environment
Enlarg e number sewag es treatments
Or der to selection of litters
R ealize new friendly for environment investments
H old back infr astructure development in "g reen areas"
Build protection infrastructure of the coast
Limits for car traffic
R estore natural environment
Introduce ecolog ical packag es and products
Save and to protect natural supplies
N o other objects on and near beaches
D o not build hotels and restaurant close to the coast
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80 %
Fig. 3. Respondents opinion on what kind of action really protects the seaside environment
(over 45% of answers) (Łabuz, 2003ab).
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T.A. Łabuz
Height quantities of litter and waste material
Absence of sewages treatments
Increasing number of tourists
Industry and economy
Flow of sewages with rivers
Infrastructure development on beaches, dunes and cliffs
Extension of villages on the coast
Development touristic infrastructure
Destructive activity of sea
Large population in coastal areas
Agriculture
O ther
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
%
Fig. 4. Respondents opinion on the theme of threats for seaside nature (Łabuz, 2003ab).
Conclusions
In many questions education, pollution and litters were the main problems pointed by
asked tourists. But also it is clearly visible, that people do not want a lot of buildings and
infrastructure close to the beach. For them the natural landscape and environment in
which they can really rest is more important. Probably a better knowledge of the coastal
environment may increase their friendly activity for the environment. Local communities
and schools should take care of the education on the seaside environment. Various
opinions not true knowledge and not accepted behaviours of tourists should be regulated.
Their awareness and attitudes should be changed. In other cases the natural environment
will be soon destroyed. And social costs of protection will rapidly increase.
References
Ryden L. (Ed.). 2003. Behaviour and the environment. Ethics, education, and lifestyle.
p.632-661. In: Environmental science. Understanding, protecting, and managing the
environment in the Baltic Sea region. The Baltic University Press, Uppsala. 824p.
Harman J.R. and A.F. Arbogast. 2004. Environmental ethics and coastal dunes in
Western Lower Michigan: Developing a rationale for ecosystem preservation. Annals
of Association of American Geographers 94(1):23-36.
Łabuz T.A. 2003a. Ecological awareness of seaside tourism participants (in Polish). MSc
dissertation, Institute of Sociology, University of Szczecin. 100p.
Łabuz T.A. 2003b. The study of tourists ecological awareness and attitudes in the face of
the environment protection using sociological methods. p.7-16. In: Tourism around
Baltic Sea. Steingrube W. (Ed.). Förderkreist für Regional – und
Tourismusforschung an der Universität Greifswald. Greifswalder Beiträge,
Eigendruck, Greifswald. 102p.
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