Tourism and Forest Fires: Problems, Challenges and Possibilities

Abstract

Forest fires represent a serious threat to the tourism industry. In Europe, Portugal is most vulnerable to fire, followed by the Mediterranean countries. In the period 1980-2018, an average of 18,025 fires was recorded in Portugal, while the average annual burned area was 116,894 ha. The trend of the number of fires is increasing (statistically significant at p≤0.01). During 2017, fires affected 540,630 ha in Portugal, accounting for about 5.9% of the state territory. Statistically significant (p≤0.01) downward trends were found for Spain (burned areas), France (burned areas), and Italy (both parameters). The downward trends identified for Greece were not statistically significant. Natural conditions conducive to the occurrence and spread of fires in the Mediterranean area are dry periods during the summer, dry land without watercourses, and vegetation that is extremely vulnerable to fire. In these countries, the major tourist and fire seasons almost coincide. Forest fires endanger human lives, as well as tourism infrastructure and superstructure, and contribute to creating a negative public image of a tourist destination. Future research should pay attention to improving the prognosis of forest fires.