Sustainability of coastal tourism: the role of environmental certification of municipalities

Tourism is an essential element in the local economy for achieving the main objectives of social and economic growth, an adequate degree of occupation for citizens, a satisfactory regional development and a sound management of cultural and natural heritage. The tourism industry is a growing sector and produces social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts able to modify the physical aspect of a territory. The most important pressures exerted by tourism industry on the environment are an increased consumption of natural resources, such as water, soil and energy, a great and uncontrolled use of territory, a large production of wastes and a diffuse atmospheric and water pollution. The growing consumption of natural resources represents an obstacle for the achievement of sustainable development, particularly in small and coastal areas with fragile ecological environment. The tourism development, without an appropriate planning and management, can create competition for the use of land; it can encourage an intensive exploitation of territory and can cause deforestation, soil erosion and loss of biological diversity, producing as a consequence an irreversible damage to the ecosystems. On the other hand, a quality tourism can contribute to sustainable development of coastal areas by improving the local economy through the meeting of social needs and preserving, at the same time, the cultural and natural environment. Local authorities play an important role in tourism management through their planning activities, policies and programs. It is therefore necessary a comprehensive framework for assuring a balanced and consistent approach to environmental management allowing a systematic, objective and periodic evaluation of the whole authority activities.