Environmental Challenges of Coastal Tourism: Spatial Patterns and Cartographic Analysis of Swimming-Pool Water Consumption in Halkidiki Region, Greece

Tourism development in coastal Mediterranean regions has posed a significant pressure on water local resources, particularly the extensive use of water-intensive recreational infrastructures. This study investigates the spatial distribution and water consumption of public and private swimming pools in the Kassandra peninsula, Halkidiki, Greece. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and high-resolution satellite imagery from 2016 and 2024, the research quantified changes in pool density and estimated associated water losses from evaporation and filter backwashing. Our findings reveal a significant increase in swimming pools and related water demand, intensifying water scarcity during the tourist season. Growth was particularly strong among small private and tourism-related pools, which increased by 192.4% overall and by more than 400% in some districts. This trend reflects a shift from mass hotel-based tourism toward decentralized and flexible tourism models. Furthermore, cartographic outputs and thematic mapping highlight spatial concentrations of water consumption near environmentally sensitive coastal zones. The applied geospatial approach identifies interactions between tourism infrastructure and vulnerable ecosystems, offering an integrated geographic perspective on environmental pressures in coastal areas. Our results emphasize the urgent need for sustainable water management policies, including water reuse practices and strategies to improve the resilience of tourism-dependent regions under climate stress.