Demand of the tourists visiting protected areas in small oceanic islands: the Azores case-study (Portugal)

The Palaeontological Heritage of Santa Maria Island (Azores: NE Atlantic): a Re-evaluation of Geosites in GeoPark Azores and Their Use in Geotourism

“…On the other hand, tourism sustainability in small islands is highly dependent on the maintenance of the quality of their marine and coastal environments, a balance sometimes difficult to achieve given an uncontrolled increase in the number of visitors to sensitive protected areas (Fonseca et al 2011;Calado et al 2014). In a study by Queiroz et al (2014), the Azorean 'natural values', which included both its biodiversity and geodiversity that together provide a unique landscape, were actually considered to be the tourists' main reason to visit the archipelago, and in the end, they were mostly satisfied with the experience. Thus, tourism development in the Azores can and should be based mostly on the value of its wildlife, their unique environments, natural resources and landscapes (Queiroz et al 2014).…”

“…In a study by Queiroz et al (2014), the Azorean 'natural values', which included both its biodiversity and geodiversity that together provide a unique landscape, were actually considered to be the tourists' main reason to visit the archipelago, and in the end, they were mostly satisfied with the experience. Thus, tourism development in the Azores can and should be based mostly on the value of its wildlife, their unique environments, natural resources and landscapes (Queiroz et al 2014).…”

“…According to Queiroz et al (2014), hiking is the second most practiced activity by the visitors of the Azores, making the new fossil thematic trails an added value to bring people to the archipelago, particularly to Santa Maria Island. In the near future, certified nature guides will lead visits to these outstanding fossiliferous outcrops.…”

Um estudo sobre as atividades turísticas em seis ilhas brasileiras

“…Correia, Butler e Oliveira (2008), identificam as ilhas como o segundo principal destino de férias, superado apenas pelas cidades históricas. Esse fato pode ocorrer devido as suas características de afastamento ou insularidade, que tendem a tornar esses ambientes atraentes e exóticos para a prática de diversas atividades turísticas (Queiroz, Guerreiro, & Ventura, 2014).…”

“…Devido à localização geográfica, os ecossistemas insulares são considerados ambientes frágeis e mais susceptíveis a essas mudanças (Queiroz, Guerreiro, & Ventura, 2014), pois as atividades socioeconômicas das populações que vivem em ilhas estão concentradas na região costeira, e esses territórios sofrem constantemente com os fenômenos naturais.…”