The Blue Flag Label as a Tool to Improve the Quality of Life in the Sun-and-Sand Tourist Destinations

Abstract

Environmental impacts generated by tourism can adversely affect competitiveness of tourism destinations, not only through the reduction in the quality of their tourism inputs, but also through a potential fall in demand as a consequence of the emergence of ``environmentally sensitive{''} tourists. The Blue Flag is a tool for to public managers of tourist destinations in order to find a balance between environment and enjoyment of the tourist. It is an eco-labelling of beaches that demands the fulfilment of a set of requirements related to the quality of life: some of them referring directly to the environmental quality, and others to the additional comfort and services that tourists and residents can enjoy. In order to know the effectiveness of the Blue Flag as a good practice of tourism management, it is important to understand how tourists' environmental concerns influence their choice of holiday destinations. This study evaluates the relative importance that have factors related with the quality of life and the environmental management of the tourism destination in comparison with other factors as massification, recreational activities and night-life. Through a survey to a sample of 819 Portuguese and Spanish tourists, three segments were found: ``Concerned about massification{''}, ``Concerned about certified quality{''} and ``Concerned about quality without willingness to pay more{''}. The level of awareness of the Blue Flag is very high among tourists, but their willingness to pay a premium to stay in a tourism accommodation located near a beach with Blue Flag is not so high.