Designing and planning ecotourism in coastal areas with simultaneous emphasis on land capability and people s opinions

Somayeh Galdavi¹ Marjan Mohammadzadeh²

1) Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering., Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Kashmar Higher Education Institute, Iran.
2) Associate Prof., Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

IOI Code : XGKB-KFAHC
Publication : Conservation of Natural Resources & Environment along with Forests of Iran(envprouma.ir)
Abstract :
    Ecotourism is a type of sustainable tourism that is accepted as an effective tool for sustainable development by many countries and nowadays it is integrated with the strategies of economic development and environmental protection. Ecotourism involves visiting natural areas to learn, study, or perform environmentally friendly activities. One of the types of natural environments that great interest to ecotourists are the coastal areas, where tourists visit these areas for various purposes and to perform specific recreational activities. Therefore, recreational planning based on the potential of the environment and recreational activities of tourists in these areas can provide a successful tourism experience for them and encourage them to return to these areas. The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the recreation preferences of beachgoers in coastal areas. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared using the Clawson method, and after determining the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, it was distributed and completed among people. Statistical analysis of questionnaires was done using SPSS21 software. According to the obtained results from the people s point of view, having facilities for children to play, swimming and water sports, observing waterbirds and waterside birds, photography, observing nature (including plants, animals, and geological features), walking, sailing, and playing for adults, visiting historical and ancient monuments and visiting and shopping local markets and their handicrafts scored more points, respectively. So, it is recommended that people s recreational preferences should be taken into consideration during the planning and designing of places for recreation/tourism, in addition to the land capability to satisfy them and create a high-quality recreational experience.

Keywords : tourism and recreation recreational activities visitors recreational planning coastal areas