Landscape indicators for the evaluation of tourist landscape structure

Landscape structure has been analysed in many European countries with the aid of indicator-based landscape assessments, geographical information system (GIS) and remote-sensing techniques, applied mainly in landscape ecology and geography. The objective of this paper is to present a developed framework of landscape indicators and appropriate spatial metrics for the analysis of tourist landscape structure and its application in the coastal tourist landscape in Kos Island, Greece. With the aid of GIS analysis techniques (viewshed and spatial statistics), our results revealed both intensive and extensive tourist landscape development during the period 1981–1995 and a trend towards stabilization for the period 1995–2002. The spatial distribution of land use patterns, the evolution of a complex system of transport networks and increased building density resulted in decreased visibility towards the sea and in fragmentation of the initial landscape – an early sign of landscape identity loss.