An overview of restoration and regeneration possibilities of spanish mediterranean coastal zones: case of second home tourism as retirement plans

Abstract

Tourism and demographic changes are linked as important regional determinants in relation to urban and regional planning systems. Second home tourism in Spanish Mediterranean coastal areas has created a great real estate market demands in which local communities and authorities are both involved. Based on tourist area life cycle theory (TALC) current conditions of some tourists Mediterranean coastal areas in Spain falling to a degree of degradation or even stagnation among their practical life cycle, which demonstrated as last phases of TALC theory. Many second home projects were built within Spanish costal zones during a rapid growth and the boob construction period in Spain, started from 1970s. This circumstance means facing with a variety of economic challenges in local and national scale, such as seasonal labor markets in coastal areas. Accordingly the aim of this paper is to evaluate European demographic changes in general, and in particular its potential effect on urban and housing planning in Spanish coastal zones. Throughout investigations on European mobility statics and demographic changes, this study tries to provide a prospect on the real estate challenges caused by second home tourism. Considering two phenomena provides this issue: ‘second home tourism’ and ‘international retirement migration’. Correspondingly, the initial focus of this study is on the challenges generating by rapid growth of second home development in Spanish Mediterranean towns. Then, the both mentioned phenomena and their positive and negative impacts on real estate market are demonstrated. Considering demographic and social characteristics would be a strong factor in order to make specific strategies towards improvement of related regional plans. This study evaluates the growing number of senior tourists and retired migrants, who are creating new market demand among the residential tourism market. This elderly population in each given touristic area needs specific services and accommodation, which may create a variety of local jobs as complementary activities. It has been universally agreed that by this initiative approach in urban and housing projects, the local economic condition, especially in the field of real estate and labor market may significantly be improved; however the effect is not limited to the local economy. Documentary data collection and example study evaluation are taken as the main methodological approach to this study. As conclusive remarks of this study, some suggestions are presented in order to initiate a concentrated field of studies in area of regional planning systems responsive to such areas. This study advocates considering the influence of international retirement migration in the residential tourism market and its effective role, in which concludes with new strategies and housing policies that leading to the restoration and regeneration of Mediterranean coastal areas.