Environmental perceptions of tourists at Blue Flag certified beaches in Acapulco, Mexico

Abstract

There is limited literature on the environmental perception of tourists at Blue Flag certified beachesin Mexico. The objective of this research was to know the environmental perception of tourists atIcacos I and Icacos II beaches in Acapulco, Mexico, with Blue Flag certification. Quantitativeresearch was carried out; the criteria "environmental education and information" and "environmentalmanagement" criteria were examined with a semi-structured survey of 57 questions applied to 316beach users, during the summer of 2019. According to the perception of tourists, an ideal beach shouldhave clean water and sand; however, in the beaches studied, there is solid waste on the beach and inthe sea, in addition to noise pollution and sewage, even with certification. It was found that there isnot enough signage or environmental activity for users. In terms of management, visitors do not haveinformation about Blue Flag; they do not observe the relevant signage, nor have they previouslyvisited a beach with this emblem. In order to promote Acapulco as a sustainable destination, it isnecessary to comply with the regulations and involve the local government, businessmen, service andtourists; it is also necessary to develop environmental education processes.