Understanding land-use conflicts related to mass tourism in protected coastal dunes: an application to conservation management

Tourism activities in sensitive environments, such as dune fields or beaches, can be a cause of complex conflicts between development and conservation. The Maspalomas Dunes Special Nature Reserve (Gran Canaria, Spain) has received millions of visitors since the 1990s, attracted by a combination of year-round sunshine, warm weather, dune landscape, and a wide range of recreational uses. The urbanization of the surroundings of the Reserve and the occupation of sections of the beach-dune system by kiosks and other equipment, together with regular “beach cleaning” using heavy machinery, constantly disturb and put pressure on this iconic site. Also, visitors entering the dune field often leave an important environmental footprint when they do not follow local environmental rules. This study the impacts associated with visitors that enter the dune field to go off-track and wander around protected and sensitive areas. Surveys were carried out in situ to understand motivations of people for leaving official tracks. Additional field work consisting of mapping environmental damages helped understanding the spatial distribution and characteristics of dune degraded areas (“degraded spots”). Results show marked differences between user expectations when visiting the reserve vs . goals set by local environmental management. Common visitors’ activities (e.g., partying) were completely at odds with the actual legal framework for the environmental protection of the dune field (e.g., habitats protection). The discussion reviews current conflicts and the need to adapt public uses to the carrying capacity of the dune ecosystem. We argue that the prevailing tourist-centric business-model in Maspalomas, which disregards fundamental principles of environmental conservation, poses significant detriment to local habitats, species, and the geomorphological integrity of this unique environment. A multi-stakeholder approach for conflict resolution could help management to strike a balance between public access and the need for meaningful environmental protection.