SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CAPACITY IN MARINE RESERVES: THE CASE OF THE TREMITI ISLANDS, ITALY

The Marine Reserve of the Tremiti Islands - Southern Italy, Apulia - covers 1466 hectares and is managed by the Gargano National Park Authority. The Reserve is characterized by natural features such as Posidonia oceanica meadows. During the summer months, particularly in August, the flow of tourists increases exponentially. This study describes an evolution of the method to determine the Tourist Carrying Capacity (TCC) of the Tremiti Islands to ensure the sustainability of the marine reserve. The approach is an extension of the carrying capacity model used by Pazienza (2001) for three important municipalities in the Gargano National Park. Among other strategies to ensure the sustainability of the Tremiti Islands, Ranieri et al. determined an environmental contribution for each activity authorized in the MPA: 0.70 €/capita for bathing; 0.27€/capita for diving; 1.34 €/capita for boat rental; 1.10 €/capita for boating.