Sustainable tourism development and recreational use of Natura 2000 areas in Chania, Greece

Eleni Spyridaki

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Tourism is one of the most important rapidly developing activities especially since the last half of the 20th century. It is a multidisciplinary field the last decades the relationship between tourism and environment is in the epicenter of scientific researches. The aim of this research is to gain insights into the perception of sustainable tourism and to examine the ways in which it is implemented at the regional level. The study area named Chania and it is one of the regions in the biggest island in Greece Crete. First goal is to know how well the concept of sustainability is understood by the visitors. Second try to analyze the visitors behave opinion and preferences. The opinion of locals and tourists is in the center of my research. The visitor s preferences and recommendations are going to give me inspire to create a vision and based on the potential of Chania that the great part of area belongs to Natura 2000 to propose a plan for further sustainable development in this region. Natura 2000 network is an initiative of European Union established in order to preserve Europe s most valuable and threatened habitats and species while ensuring that management is ecologically and economically sustainable. This means that Natura 2000 is not a system of strict nature reserves but the areas of the harmonious coexistence of human and nature. In an effort to promote environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources has now recognized the importance of conservation and rational management of natural areas due to the number and importance of the functions and values that emanate from them which make them irreplaceable both for present and for future generations. Furthermore the results of the questionnaire gives important information which helps me to create many other ideas relative to ecotourism. However due to the small number of respondents compare to thousands of people who live and visit the place the conclusions are not a final image of the situation.

Keywords

Natura 2000, Chania, Sustainable tourism

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 18. 4. 2017

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Vojtěch Barták, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Master programme / field:
Landscape Engineering / Landscape Planning