Intervention Area: Resilient Coastal Communities and Businesses

Background and rationale 

For coastal regions and communities around Europe, tourism is a highly important economic activity that provides substantial employment. Coastal and maritime tourism represents about half of all tourism globally and is the largest sector of the EU Blue Economy in terms of GVA and employment. The sector was affected hard by the covid pandemic and is still recovering, with a GVA of €49.9bn generated by the sector in 2021, representing a 74% increase from 2020, but still a 38% contraction of pre-pandemic levels. In 2021 the sector employed 1.9m people in the EU (2.8 million in 2019) (EU Blue Economy Report 2024). The sector is highly dependent on the quality of marine and coastal environments but can also impact directly on those environments. Many of its activities also depend on coastal infrastructures, including for example small harbours and marinas, that provide an interface between the land and the sea but are in themselves exposed to risks from climate change and extreme weather impacts. Moreover, the social infrastructure of coastal communities is challenged by the seasonality of the tourism sector, and there is a need for greater economic diversification and improved digital infrastructure to encourage new economic activities in coastal communities.  

There are significant challenges and opportunities for coastal and marine tourism to achieve a transition from its currently unsustainable model and to manage exposure to environmental, economic and social risks. The aim of this IA is to support interdisciplinary research across natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technology, as well as innovation to enable a just and efficient transition to low-impact, regenerative and sustainable tourism and coastal business that increases also the resilience of the communities in which these businesses are embedded. While focusing on coastal and maritime tourism, the knowledge generated under this Intervention Area could also apply to challenges that are common to other coastal businesses. 

Key thematic areas 

1. Low-impact, regenerative coastal tourism and business 

An increasing global population and middle class with access to disposable income, has led to a rise in tourism and the numbers of people travelling for recreational purposes. The covid pandemic, however, caused a major disruption to international tourism and impacted tourism business globally, including 75 million job losses and a tourism-induced GDP reduction of more than €2 trillion. As the sector recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, there are substantial opportunities for change and adaptation towards a more sustainable business model. Research in this area is needed to guide policy and planning to support a just and efficient transition towards low-impact, regenerative tourism.  

• Identify opportunities for viable tourism products that help to reduce negative environmental impact, manage and restore local environments, and revitalise local and traditional culture and heritage.
• Analysis of the energy usage and needs across marine and coastal tourism and strategies for reducing sectoral energy use and green-house gas emissions, transitioning to renewable energy, including electrification of recreational vessels and ground transportation.
• Shifting tourist attitudes and behaviours to enable a transition to a lower impact, regenerative business models, reducing pollution, water and energy usage.
• Understand willingness to pay for environmental measures to inform financial models and transition strategies to low-impact tourism.
• Identify opportunities for citizen science as a tool to deliver co-benefits in terms of ocean literacy, environmental protection/restoration, and an activity that can form part of a viable business product.
• Development of innovative digital products and services that inform decision-making and creation of new products for tourism operators.

2. Resilient coastal tourism and diversification of business 

Coastal tourism businesses operate in a continually evolving socio-economic context where seasonality, limited access to labour and tight profit margins are commonplace. These businesses are also highly dependent on the quality of the marine and coastal environment and are on the front line of climate and weather impacts. The threats they face are reflected more broadly by the threats to the coastal communities they support. An improved understanding of these pressures can inform more effective policies, planning and product development, as well as strategies to foster resilience in coastal communities and businesses and support diversification of coastal and marine-based enterprises.

Activities should address the following aspects: 

• Research to understand the impacts posed to coastal business and communities by climate change (ocean warming, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, etc.) and extreme weather events.
• Strategies for strengthening ecosystem resilience in face of change coastal businesses against climatic, geological and anthropogenic hazards and social and economic risk factors.
• Social innovation to enable diversification and eco-sustainability of coastal and marine-based enterprises and mechanisms to sustain such businesses.
• Assess the impacts of diverse coastal activities on marine and coastal environments and co-dependencies between tourism and marine ecosystem health and biodiversity.
• Understand the relationships and interdependencies between marine and coastal tourism and the communities in which they operate, including challenges linked to social/community unrest generated by mass tourism.
• Improved understanding of financing instruments and incentves for innnovation that support new and sustainable job creation in the greeen-blue economy coastal communities.
• Improved understanding of the impact of ‘social’ infrastructure (education, health, welfare) on the relocation of more diversified businesses to coastal areas.
• Improve understanding of the social and cultural costs and benefits of sustainable coastal and marine tourism and the cultural context for fostering a sustainable.

3. Resilient coastal infrastructures and nature-based solutions 

Coastal tourism relies in large part on built infrastructures such as small harbours, piers and marinas, that enable access for operators and tourists to the marine environment. These infrastructures are by nature of their location, highly exposed to the impacts of climate change (e.g. sea-level rise), geological hazards, coastal erosion and extreme weather events. Understanding the risk to existing infrastructures and advancing innovative approaches to design and adaptation of coastal structures is a key component underpinning sectoral resilience. A transition towards nature-based solutions is an important opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of activities linked to tourism. Nature based solutions can promote the development of sustainable blue tourism in coastal areas, including strategies to combat coastal erosion, control the spread of harmful alien species, and ensure the quality of bathing waters.

Activities should address the following aspects:  

• Research on impacts on coastal infrastructures due to climate change and extreme weather events.
• Nature-based solutions to protect /re-design coastal structures, improve environmental quality and safety and mitigate potential impacts on coastal communities and businesses.
• Integrating NBS and   technologies in coastal infrastructures that can improve and monitor environmental conditions and support long-term data on amelioration of coastal conditions and environmental change.
• Effective Investment in and conservation of natural assets that benefit both costal tourism and ecosystem services / Nature-based Solutions (e.g. through carbon storage, flood protection) focused on habitat regeneration and blue carbon.
• Analysis of public policies around water provisions, desalinisation and marine based infrastructures management to set the path for future interventions.  
• Enabling diversification by working with existing and emerging maritime sectors to provide tourism opportunities linked to eco-tourism, offshore energy, aquaculture operations, fisheries and ports.
• Improved knowledge about the diversity of demands per region in terms of infrastructures (stable or mobile ones) to inform policies on coastal development and local economic activities.
• Research on the impact (positive or negative) of subsidies/allowance on different economic activities in context of their long term sustainability.
• Improved comparative knowledge on legal frameworks across different European regions to support coastal activities in the the most effiecient and sustainable way. 

Implementation, enablers, and synergies  

Technology, data and digitalisation can enable solutions for coastal and marine tourism to transition to a more sustainable, regenerative business model, create new tourism offerings and opportunities, including for upskilling. In a European context, marine environmental data portals such as EMODNet provide users with access to a major source of information that can be used to improve decision-making and product development. Data and technological innovation are also critical enablers to inform the design and maintenance of coastal infrastructures. Moreover, technology paired with a better and comparative understanding of socio and cultural factors can contribute to frame appropriately the potentials of different regions in terms diversification of economic activities, infrastructures, labour markets, and legal and financial support for innovation.  

Cash calls for R&I proposals are relevant for addressing knowledge gaps, develop solutions, and build R&I capacity around the topic of this Intervention Area. Synergies will be sought with the Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters and European Partnerships such as Social Transformations and Resilience, Resilient Cultural Heritage, and Driving Urban Transitions.  

Outcomes and Impacts 

• Knowledge and guidance for public authorities and development agencies (national, local), to inform policy and planning to enable a just and efficient transition for coastal and marine activities to a sustainable and regenerative business model.
• Greater understanding for key stakeholders (coastal businesses, community leaders, local authorities, etc.) of the risks posed by climate change impacts, extreme weather and geological hazards.
• Greater understanding of the social and cultural context underpinning coastal tourism and strategies to ensure that transition to a new sustainable business model safeguard the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of local communities.
• Strategies to foster greater resilience for coastal business and communities in the face of climate change, extreme weather events, geological hazards, and social and economic impacts to inform all stakeholders from individual businesses to national policy and planning authorities.
• Mitigation of environmental impacts of coastal and marine tourism in Europe, linked to reduced pollution, GHG emissions and energy usage, water usage, and impact on local marine and coastal environments.  
• Improved strategies and policies for delivering positive change in tourist behaviours and attitudes towards reducing deleterious environmental, social and cultural impacts from their touristic activities. Supporting an interest/willingness to participate in regenerative activities such as nature restoration and citizen science.  
• Greater deployment of innovative technologies (e.g. low-cost sensors, application for citizen science approaches), and use of data and digital products (e.g. publicly available data by tourist operators) to inform low-impact tourism activities and products.