Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
period, the English coastline has attracted a growing retirement migration (for an early
analysis of this trend in the UK, see Cosgrove and Jackson 1972), increasing the
recreational appeal of these environments. This is complemented by the rise of second
home owner-ship in coastal locations (Coppock 1977a). Some coastal resorts have also
sought to diversify their appeal, with the development of conference and convention
business (Shaw and Williams 1997). What Tunstall and Penning-Rowsell (1998)
recognised was that the coastal resort, and particularly the beach/sea-wall/promenade
which protects the RBD from nature, is a costly infrastructure that needs ongoing
investment.
Tunstall and Penning-Rowsell used a longitudinal research technique, focused on
fifteen beaches in England over a decade, examining preferences towards beaches and
protection methods to consider the values attached to beaches. A model of beach users'
attitudes and values was developed to explain the factors which contribute to the values
attached to beaches. The role of recreational constraints (i.e. time and income), frequency
of visitation, cost of visit, tastes and values (i.e. subjective enjoyment value) and the
values assigned to specific resorts and beaches were incorporated into the model. A range
of popular and less popular beaches were examined with commercial resort towns and
smaller towns. Each location had the potential to experience beach erosion problems.
Among the main factors motivating beach visits to popular recreational sites were the
cleanliness of the site, type of beach material available, the natural setting and familiarity
with the site. In the case of undeveloped coasts such as Spurn Head (Humberside), the
quietness and natural setting were important attractions. The convenience of access and a
number of other factors were important (albeit in varying degrees according to the place
visited) as pull factors, including
• the town and its facilities
• quality of the seafront promenade
• characteristics of the beach
• the coastal scenery
• scenery and places to visit in the hinterland
• suitability of the sea for swimming and paddling
• convenience of the journey
• cost of the trip.
(modified from Tunstall and
Penning-Rowsell 1998)
What Tunstall and Penning-Rowsell's (1998) study confirm is Patmore's (1983) earlier
assertion on the diversity of coastal resources and reasons for visiting them. The coast,
the sea, the seashore and landscape are all integral elements associated with the social,
aesthetic and cultural meaning attached to the coast. However, 'There is considerable
diversity in what attracted visitors to particular places but it is clear that seafront elements
were more important at almost all locations than other aspects of the resort' (Tunstall and
Penning-Rowsell 1998:323). What detracted from visitation at specific sites were sewage,
cleanliness, litter and the water-bathing quality, though as R.Morgan (1999) found, even
the visitors' perception of these issues was complex to deconstruct and explain, since
perception and behaviour were not necessarily rational and predictable.
