Eco Certification. A Tool to establish Surf Tourism with lower Environmental Impact?

Case Study from the year 2013 in the subject Tourism - Miscellaneous, grade: '-', The University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde, language: English, abstract: With the economic growth of the surf travel industry, its negative impacts on the natural surroundings in which it is taking place are rising. At the same time it contributes to climate change. A growing number of surf schools and surf camps cater for younger surf tourists and offer accommodation and surf safaris especially on the south-western coast of Portugal. Besides the residential or accommodation related impacts like the use of fossil energy, waste water and other consumption related effects, transport from the camp to the surf spot by car is one of the most polluting aspects in the destination. Despite of these impacts, surfing as an activity is less destructive than other tourist action sports or motor-driven water sports. Still, vegetation damage or erosion of hinterland dunes can be caused by surfers searching access to the break as well as damaging reefs while wading through shallow water or while anchoring with a charter boat. Indirectly caused impacts include the manufacturing process of surfboards or wetsuits which is highly polluting. Although board shapers as Kuntiqi Surfboards or enterprises such as Patagonia are trying to use more environment friendly material, the majority still uses foam blanks and petrochemicals. Consequently, the carbon footprint of a traveling surfer should not be underestimated. However, the following quotation shows that surfers are already aware of the negative environmental impacts they cause: 'In my experience surfers are usually open minded to the idea that we, as humans, are affecting the climate through our carbon emissions. Due to surfing's connection with nature, we have a vested interest in ensuring global warming doesn't get out of hand. For example, rising sea levels will make that low tide reef you love work less often.' (Lomax 2010, online). For surfing does not work without surfable waves, there is of course a need to focus on sustainability issues also within surf tourism. How aware are European surf tourists of the matter? If so, are they only aware or is there a willingness to actively change their very own behavior or to influence the behavior of surf tourism stakeholders so that negative impacts can be reduced? Could the willingness to pay more for an environmentally friendly operating surf camp appeal to surf camp owners to act in a more eco friendly way?