Chapter From a lovely coast to a designated bathing beach: steps, challenges, legislative framework

Abstract

Offering good quality bathing beaches to the public is a necessity faced by Local and Tourist Authorities of coastal areas. Recreation by the sea or inland waters provides multiple benefits to local communities: health, physical and social activities, the local economy through the attraction of tourists. The increase of population in the coastal zone has caused an increase in the demand of recreational spaces.These days a multitude of coasts used (or with a potential to be used) for recreational purposes are not designated beaches. The benefits of their inclusion in the lists of designated bathing waters are substantial, because the regular microbiological monitoring safeguards public health. Additionally designated, monitored beaches become visible to international tourists through the relevant sites (i.e. in Europe through the European Environment Agency). To cover this emerging need for new monitored beaches we set a framework of actions necessary to transform a coastal recreation area to a designated bathing beach, suited for use with no health concerns. In this systematic, analytical, step by step Coastal Zone Management approach, we guide and support the competent authorities to design and develop a listed bathing beach.