Tourists Carrying Capacity Tool
Explore the sustainable visitor capacity of any coastal stretch in Greece, considering both organised beach use (e.g., beach bars) and independent beachgoers.
Explore the sustainable visitor capacity of any coastal stretch in Greece, considering both organised beach use (e.g., beach bars) and independent beachgoers.
Draw a polygon or choose a predefined beach area to begin your assessment.
The tool automatically retrieves ecological and spatial data including Natura 2000 status, habitat sensitivity, and coastal characteristics.
The system calculates Physical, Real, and Effective Carrying Capacity and presents results through a simplified scoring framework.
Understanding the pressure that beach tourism puts on coastal nature is essential for sustainable management.
The Carrying Capacity Tool helps decision-makers, communities and researchers visualize the interaction between ecological sensitivity, legal constraints, and visitor use patterns so that beach management can be evidence-based and transparent.
Maximum number of visitors an area can physically accommodate based on beach size.
Physical capacity adjusted for biodiversity constraints (e.g. buffers, protected species zones).
Real capacity further adjusted for management limits (facilities, access, infrastructure).
Satellite & Land Cover Data: helps define vegetation and built zones
Natura 2000 Boundaries & Habitats: ecological sensitivity layers
Legal Requirements: Nesting zones, Untouched beaches, Blue Flags
User Inputs: beach boundary, average stay, service hours