Climate change impacts tourism, since both supply and demand of tourism services depend on the quality and the management of a set of environmental attributes. This paper critically reviews the empirical evidence in the literature of the last twenty years (2000–2019), by identifying the potential impacts of climate change in coastal and maritime destinations. The concept of Impact Chains is the methodological framework through which the literature is systematically selected, classified and assessed. A great heterogeneity of results is found, with estimates of physical and socio-economic impacts of climate change differing across destinations and methodologies. Moreover, the majority of recent studies mainly deals with only a few of the most important impacts, hence future research should be re-directed to overlooked indicators and relationships, which are key for designing effective climate policies at tourism destinations.

The tourism sector is recognised as being highly vulnerable to climate change, and research is still considered scarce to support destinations to enhance resilience capacities. This study aims to analyse tourists’ preferences for adaptation measures that can be implemented at coastal destinations to face climate risks. To this aim, 258 questionnaires were completed by tourists visiting Cyprus in the summer of 2019. Tourists were posed with hypothetical situations where several climate risks occur at the destination, and were asked to choose between alternative combinations of policies to counteract these impacts. Results indicate that the programs related to beach protection, heat waves amelioration, water supply and infectious diseases prevention are the most valued by tourists. The study provides recommendations aimed at being useful for all coastal destinations, highlighting the importance of climate-related preparedness and adaptive capacities to enhance the tourist experience value and promote economic impact.

Purpose – Nautical tourism is considered to be an under-exploited research area, if we take into account its evolution and growth prospects. This lack of knowledge is probably one of the main reasons the sector has not reached its maximum. The present paper aims at exploring the European nautical tourists´ perceptions of image, in relation to the type of nautical sport they carry out and the type of nautical destination they visit. Methodology – The research was conducted in the Canary Islands and Morocco during 2013 and 2014. The sample covered 433 European nautical tourists pursuing different nautical sports and was organised into two groups. Structured questionnaires with personal interviews were implemented. Choosing a mature nautical destination and an emerging one enriched the comparative approach for the study. The findings indicate there are clearly similar profiles amongst the groups of tourists visiting both regions, and that the perceived image varies between a nautical tourist doing sailing and a nautical tourist motivated by other nautical sports. The data analysis reveals that perceptions also vary according to the more intensive and extensive use of the destinations. Originality – This empirical study provides useful insights into the demand for nautical tourism, the perceptions and evaluations of the ports and marinas as well as the destinations themselves, which can be used as a guide for the tourism industry managers and the Government Authorities to develop more effective marketing and positioning strategies. The study of the destination image in nautical tourism is a contribution to the progress beyond the state of the sector.

Maritime tourism has become a competitive opportunity for many island destinations in search of sustainable development. This article aims to analyze the hypothesis that tourist satisfaction with nautical destinations depends on the experience of previous visits to competing destinations. This hypothesis is relevant in order to ascertain the extent of potential coopetition between tourist destinations from the point of view of the consumers. This may ask for the need of cooperation within the competitive environment in which tourist destinations manage sustainability. The evidence is obtained from the case of Cape Verde, an archipelago strongly committed to the development of the nautical sector. Survey data from nautical tourists’ satisfaction visiting Cape Verde is modeled utilizing an ordinal logistic approach. Results show that tourist satisfaction with Cape Verde increases with the authenticity of the cultural experience offered by the destination, the diversity and quality of the nautical offer and the security perceived. Moreover, tourists declaring a satisfactory travel experience in other recently visited islands have higher levels of satisfaction with the nautical destination of Cape Verde. This suggests that proper strategies for nautical tourism development in these islands should not only allow tourists to discover the best cultural and local values of the destination, but also enhance their awareness of the quality of the experience provided by island competitors and, therefore establishing a benchmark for the common benefit of all island destinations becomes of interest. In this regard, coopetition strategies among islands with common interests of specialization may allow them to gain better positioning in the international nautical tourism market, and contribute to tourism development and the sustainability of the industry.

The importance of fishing tourism for destinations is often analysed through the expenditure levels of tourists, with image, satisfaction and loyalty being under-researched areas. This article empirically tests a structural equation model to assess the relationship between the satisfaction, expenditure and loyalty of fishing tourists. Two dimensions were considered in each case: 1) overall and catch-related satisfaction, 2) expenditure on tourist and fishery products and services, and 3) behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. The study also examines destination attributes that are relevant in explaining the overall satisfaction of fishing tourists. By using data collected from 482 anglers visiting the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cape Verde, the study finds that overall satisfaction increases with the perception of a healthier and less polluted environment at destinations. This was found to be a dominant factor in the context of other attributes that also impact anglers’ satisfaction. Besides, satisfaction was found to be an antecedent of spending, but only on the components of the destination’s nautical offer. Finally, satisfaction with the catch was the only factor with a direct and positive relationship to loyalty. The study provides recommendations aimed at being useful in planning the sustainable development of fishing tourism at several destinations.