Tourism growth and decline
Tourism has been in and its Costal region economically very successful, but not without an impact on its population and environment. Over 50% of the Spanish coastline, approximately 3500km, has been developed in the last 40 years. The initial concentration of the Government was on Airports and road development, which grew out of control and spread over the coastline. It was then in Torremolinos, not far from the Airport, where the 1st concrete skyscraper was build and low value high density property like tower blocks with multiple apartments and condominiums started to spring up. Vast stretches of the coast were concreted over, destroying the environment and deterring visitors.
Along the Costa del Sol, there is nothing much left to buy; even the hills are been built on, as is every inch of the promenade with cafés and cheap shops on the front and apartment blocks behind. Huge, multistory hotels and holiday apartment blocks prone over the seafront at Torremolinos or Fuengirola.
Drive from Torremolinos to Marbella and the picture is of Los Angeles-style urban sprawl. Tracts of land with an uninspiring view over the dual carriageway are being developed into luxury housing complexes. The more expensive high value, low density property developments found here, far away from the initial place of tourism eruption.
Spaniards from the north say that the Costa del Sol is the 2nd capital of Spain, because of its shear length of uninterrupted concreted land; an endless strip of urbanisation, some say 200km long.
Nevertheless, tourism brought also other economical problems. It produced at the beginning, a measure of prosperity along the coast through high employment figures but mainly for unskilled labour. It also drained skilled labour from the inland to the major resort developments on the Costa del Sol, which created a vacuum on skilled labour in certain region of Spain and the abandonment of Land.
There were problems with the spread of economical benefits, created by tourism, to the rest of Spain especially through the high concentration on the Costa del Sol.
This has led to over development on the coast and abandonment of traditional activities, i.e. fishing and farming. Tourism has also brought adverse environmental problems like overconsumption of water, overproduction of sewage, traffic bottlenecks and pollution.
Furthermore, about 53% of mammals found in Spain are under threat of extinction. Spain's premier national park the Costa Donana, one of Europe's most important wildlife sanctuaries is in danger of drying up because its water is being extracted for irrigation and for tourist developments.
The Mediterranean Sea, along the Costa del Sol’s beach as well as the rest of the southwestern coast, is known as the largest sewer in the world. Increasingly it has been a dumping ground for untreated sewage, industrial and chemical waste, pesticides, fertilizers and oil.
Touristic development on the Costa del Sol and some past important legislations
Tourism legislations or regulation was non-existent during the early years of tourism in Spain and the Costa del Sol, mainly because the Franco era and the governments followed required urgently foreign currency.
Legislations during this period was mainly driven by a centralised government, without any or only low influence from regional communities. Power distribution was typically from the top to the bottom, which means that most the power came from Madrid, ignoring regional demands, needs and requirements.
This probably lead, if not encouraged, a wild and typically for the southern mentality uncontrolled build of tourism resorts, endless concreted apartment blocks and many uncounted other developments along the Costa del Sol.
In 1956, the Law of Urban Planning and Land Use Management (Ley del Regimen del Suelo y Ordenacion Urbana) passed the control of Land use planning to the municipal (the smallest administrative subdivision) control. This lower level of control created a tourism friendly legislative environment, with a greater decision impact from the community.
This however allowed as well corruption by powerful local individuals and developers, which is documented by Morrison and Dickinson (1987) (cited in Wong P.P. Tourism vs Environment).
In 1978, two years after the death of Franco, a constitutional change gave power to 17 newly formed autonomous governments; with it came further amendments and legislative changes for planning and urban development’s (Plan General de Ordenacion Urbana). Here is also an answer to be found why many of the tourism development planning regulations vary from each other region within Spain.
The Spanish Government also enacted in 1988 the Ley des Costas, to curb some of the worse development excesses along the shores. This Law provides for a comprehensive and integrated development plans to be drawn up, embracing the need for environmental protection. Moreover, the Ley des Costas attempts to tackle the problems of shorefront construction, by imposing a 500m setback line and sanctioning the removal of illegal buildings. A.J.Mc Dowell, et al. (cited in Wong P.P. Tourism vs Environment).
Governmental & Regional decision taking and some of their impacts
National and regional Governments have addressed the problem facing the Costa del Sol, and try to solve these problems by introducing strategies and solutions.
The government in Madrid is so concerned about the vast concrete development along the shoreline that they want to buy seaside land to stop the further wild building growth and dense developments. It is certainly too early to judge this plan of action which will require a long time before a result can be seen, but there is also a plan of action required in the short term to protect and conserve the coastline today. Here could the 1988 Law, Ley des Costas be more forcefully used.
The Spanish government has also announced a multi million budget to improve public and tourist amenities such as waste disposal, street lighting, road, beach and park maintenance. There has been also an introduction of more controls in improving the quality of cleaner beaches and sea pollution reduction. (Patronato de Tourismo & Convention Bureau, 2008)
In the Convention for the Protection Of The Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, Convention in 1976, (UNEP) which was signed by 18 countries border the Mediterranean sea, that they would control the release of industrial waste including the setting up of 83 marine laboratories to monitor the pollution. The key goal of the convention was and is to 'reduce pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and protect and improve the marine environment in the area, thereby contributing to its sustainable development'. To achieve this they set a number of aims and commitments which been far reaching, even the developmental pollution of the coastlines have been composed. The today’s result of this convention speaks for itself.
Challenges today in terms of planning and redevelopment
Having reached the year 2008, where tourism development is mentioned in the same breath as sustainability and environmental friendly approach. There is no doubt that the past has taught as a vital lesson, a lesson to be thought of when talking about coastal development as example. In the case of the Costa del Sol we have to talk about “Rejuvenating of a existing coastal resort, then a new development. The Costa del Sol has not only an existing infrastructure and densely developed coastline, it also faces harsh criticism of the tourist self, which makes the job of rejuvenating even more challenging then a new development.
There are already some examples of approaches of rejuvenating in some Spanish resorts, i.e. Majorca.
In 1991 Morgan highlighted 5 problems with Majorca as a destination which could also be said to have applied to other Spanish resorts. They were as follows (Morgan, 1991): overdependence on the UK and German markets, overdependence on the UK inclusive tourism market offering a high volume but low yield, excess supply (60%) of accommodations in the 1 to 3 star categories, environmental determination-particularly as a result of hotel construction with many developments permitted close to the beach, a negative image.
Here we can find some real similarities to the Costa del Sol. However, action was then taken by the public sector in partnership with the tourism industry.
Measures included (Hunter-Jones, et al. in Stabler, 1997): a reduction in bed space capacity through building licenses and hotel inspections (to improve overall quality), restrictions on the location and height of new hotel developments, beach upgrading schemes, traffic management projects, developments of new markets by diversifying the consumer type and the country of origin, a range of conservation projects.
Overall, a greater destination quality and sustainability has to be achieved in order to rejuvenating the Costa del Sol.
Here is also a clear indication that the public has to be included to be successful. Money has to be raised in order to improve the environment, a cleaner place to be, i.e. cleaner cities, beaches, sea, etc. Creations of new attractive promenades. Extensive renewal of existing bed stock, quality controls and expansion restrictions on Hotels and other accommodation providers. Restriction on endless Golf resort development, instead the development of parks. Reclaim developed land if necessary to convert into green zones. Better communal education in tourism issues to raise awareness of the main revenue provider.
Make people remember why tourists came to the Cost del Sol in the first plase.
Conclusion
Involvement of Government, Community etc. in the region’s tourism industry
It seems that mass tourism development as found on the Costa del Sol was a normal occurrence along the Mediterranean coastline in the past. Mass tourism has brought wealth and employment into economical inactive regions, but it also created an array of problems. Problems like the uneven socio-spatial distribution and its dependence on external decision makers and global players. There been irreparable impacts on the fragile environment of this coastline and landscapes changed forever. Tourism had undoubtedly an effect on the local population of the Costa del Sol and its culture and heritage, an unchangeable impact with consequences. The near total dependence on tourism, the housing market (High pricing) the loss of cultural identity and the degeneration of vast areas along the coast.
However, a focus on the need of tourism planning and management can been observed since the involvement of Government and community alike. A careful consideration on the different types of tourism, legislations and regulations have to be taken in consideration when consider a redevelopment of an existing region. The far amount of existing resorts, hotels and other buildings must be taken in consideration when further developments are planned. The concrete desert of the Spanish coastline has left its imprint in the annals of tourism. Consequently, lessons have been learned, so there is no way back to the old way’s of wild developing and building.
This new approach in costal tourism development has already been from success. The increase of high quality 4 and 5 star Hotels and leisure developments (around 340 Golf-clubs) has already produced a 6% occupancy plus (2008, 4th quarter) compared to the same quarter the year before. A firm grasp on the redevelopment and control of bad building sites on the Cost del Sol has had an impact on the pricing on high demand on costal property again.
It seems that planning and management has brought back some of the benefits tourism can have, to the Costa del Sol. The fact of environmental legislations and planning laws has had already an impact on the region; the value of the coast is beginning to be maintained and retained in order for it to survive. Here is not only one lesson to be learned.
References
- Barke, M., (1999), Tourism and culture in Spain: A case of minimal conflict? In M. Robinson and Boniface (eds) Tourism and Cultural Conflicts (pp.247-67), CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK
- Tourist Observatory, (2008), Sociedad de Planificacion y Desarolio, SOPDE, Costa del Sol, Spain
- Tourism Spain, (1989), Tourism Spain, Ministerio del Portavoz del Gobierno, Madrid, Spain
- Wong, P.P., (1993 ), Tourism vs Environment: The case for Costal Areas, The Geo Journal Library, Springer Verlag, BRD
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, The United Nations Environment Program: Barcelona Convention 1976
Bibliography
- Baker, S. et al, (1997), The theory and practice of sustainable development in EU perspective, Routledge, London
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Boniface, B., & Cooper, C., (2005), Worldwide Destinations: The geography of travel & tourism, 4th edition, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK
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Gunn, C. (1994), Tourism Planning: Basics, Concepts, Cases, 3rd edition, Taylor & Francis, London, UK
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Hall, M.C., (2008), Tourism Planning: Policies, Processes and Relationships, 2nd edition, PearsonEducation Ltd, Harlow, UK
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Weaver, D., (2008), Sustainable tourism: Theory and Practice, 1st edition, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK
- Wall, G., & Mathieson, A., (2006), Tourism: Change, Impacts and Opportunities, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow, UK
Journals
- Garcia, G.M. et al., (2002), Costal Zone Management on the Costa del Sol: a Small Business Perspective, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
- Josep A. and Baidal I., (2003), Regional Tourism Planning in Spain: Evolution and Perspectives, University of Alicante, Spain
- Mc Dowell, and Jounne, A., (1993), Legislative controls, planning policies and tourism development on the Costa del Sol, southern Spain
Websites
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Polak, R., , The Costa del Sol
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White, S., , Pros and Cons of Tourism Industry
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, Spain Tourism, Sources: The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Factbook
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, The 20th Anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan: Reason to Celebrate?
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, United Nation Environment Program: Barcelona Convention 1976
