Second-home tourism in coastal risk areas: A portuguese case

Abstract

Coastal zones are preferential tourism areas. In this way, the exponential increase of second home tourism in the last years should be highlighted. The excessive occupation of coastal areas, associated with private economic interest has brought negative consequences on the land use management, with the massive building construction and buildings that are not coherent and well localized. More and more we see a lot of situations of second homes in coastal risk areas. We will present the Furadouro case-study, in Central Portugal, which is illustrative of this problem. This coastal area presents on the one hand the pronounced shoreline retreat and on the order the excessive urbanization (2/3 of second homes). It depends on coastal defense protection structures. In this local population conscious of the coastline changes and coastal risks they are exposed to? The implementation of planning strategies and sustainable tourism, promoting a correct lad use management under the acceptable ecosystem limits changes, which can use tourist activities as a way to improve the biodiversity conservation is urgent.