PERCEPTIONS OF THE BEACH USERS: A CASE STUDY OF THE COASTAL AREAS OF NORTH CYPRUS TOWARDS ESTABLISHMENT OF A CARRYING CAPACITY

Abstract

Within the main elements of economic sustainability, sociocultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability, the criteria of carrying capacity have been emphasized through residents' perception analysis to explore practical methods towards the application and implementation of such criteria. As data analysis revealed, the main tourist resources in the case of North Cyprus-the coast and the beach-have a certain capacity to sustain the impact and pressure. Despite the significance of the indigenous environment and with respect to the residents' perception of optimum carrying capacity levels, the study explores that this issue has not been given a due consideration. This has resulted in a process of coastal development that bypasses any measure towards the application of a standard to harmonize the degree of physical development and the capacity of the beach. The main objective is to establish the concept of carrying capacity as the means to achieve the reconciliation of environmental impacts with tourism development. The study concludes that, if carrying capacity measurement and its implementation are not incorporated into the planning decision as a clear policy, there will be grave negative consequences for the very resources that attract the visitors.