Tourism in Protected Areas in Spain: Perception of Sustainable Development in Protected Areas with Different Levels of Protection

Protected natural areas have become important tourist destinations around the world, and in Spain, national parks are the most representative figure of this type of enclave, having as one of its objectives to make conservation compatible with public use. One of its objectives is to make conservation compatible with public use. However, its restrictive legal regime prevents sustainability from being achieved. In this sense, UNESCO Global Geoparks emerges as an alternative figure with a vision more focused on socio-economic development. This paper compares the perception of sustainability in these two types of protected areas. For this purpose, a questionnaire was sent to the highest representatives of the municipalities closest to all the national parks and geoparks in Spain. The data analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling. The results of this study show a higher perception of sustainable development in geoparks than in national parks. In conclusion, very strict regulation of protected areas can be detrimental to tourism development and the population’s quality of life.