Environmental awareness and tourism in the Caparica coast and Setubal Peninsul, Portugal

Abstract

Portugal is a country with a population of around 10 million and can be regarded as one of Europe's poorest nations. Similarly to other Mediterranean countries, tourism is an economic activity of prime· relevance to Portugal and of a vital aspect of its economy. The relevance of tourism is particularly conspicuous in Caparica Coast and Setubal Peninsul, an area located approximately 30 km south of Lisbon, the country's capital. With a 40 km long coastline which extends itself from the City of Trafaira to Setubal, the area of Setubal Peninsul is visited by hundreds of thousand of Portuguese and foreign tourists. This paper presents the experience gathered through a survey on the levels of awareness regarding the environmental impact of tourism seen in the areas of Caparica Coast and Setubal Peninsul in Portugal. The study involved a sample of school children from local schools. It identified the fact that there are significant problems in the ways children perceive the local environment, and that the degree of awareness and perception about some of the environmental problems caused by tourism is sometimes relatively low. Recommendations on how to address the problems identified in this study, including information materials prepared with a view to addressing the information needs identified in the survey, are presented.