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Nature-based tourism has been gaining momentum over the last decades, with special development in protected areas as the main destinations; mostly after the pandemic and within the new dynamics caused by the crises. This paper focuses on Spain as a case study. It provides a state of the art and analyses some of the post-pandemic recovery policies materialised, in this case, in tourism sustainability plans for the creation of supply around high-value natural areas. The risks derived from the adoption of regrowth measures make some considerations necessary. Also, the proposal of alternatives for the promotion of recreational practices linked to different conservation instruments, as well as the proposal of actions within the tourism containment and degrowth frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the generalized idea that protected natural areas were and are created to protect a unique, biodiverse or threatened nature, this article explores other reasons, which often go unnoticed, but which are perhaps more powerful and influential in promoting the protection of certain territories. From the point of view of environmental history and social geography, using historiographical and qualitative techniques, the discourses, socio-political situations and the representations and interests of the actors involved in the conservationist objectives of Tablas de Daimiel National Park and Doñana as a backdrop, are analysed here with the aim of understanding many of the realities experienced - conflictual or not - in the protected areas. The paper relates the representation of nature with the knowledge and power that the expert naturalist possesses over it and applies to its management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In research on tourism and protected natural areas, two tendencies are evident: one shows tourism as an element that contributes to local welfare and socio-economic development, while the other links tourism in these areas to excessively restrictive regulations that hinder tourist activity and thus rural development. This work contributes to these investigations and sets out the objective of determining the relationship between protected natural areas, nature tourism and its impact as a backbone for rural development. To this end, the protected areas of the region of Andalusia (Spain) are analysed, applying statistical techniques of Multivariate Analysis for the study. Tourism, employment and socio-economic dynamism, tourism efficiency, the quality of natural resources, territorial promotion and investment activities and tourism resources are identified as factors that characterise the regional protected natural areas. These factors have a positive impact on 75% of the territory, which shows that these areas are real assets for rural and local development in the region. Tourism as an activity benefits from the resources and values of these areas, contributing to the territorial development of rural areas in need of revitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes how managers of Catalonia's protected natural areas responded to extraordinary increases in the numbers of visitors during the post-lockdown stage and easing of restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by the digital media. A systematic review of 105 news published between May and December 2020 was conducted. The results suggest that actions have been mainly focused on responding to the immediacy of the situation were implemented; these involved short-term solutions linked to the management of carrying capacity and entry to natural protected areas. Actions taken related to information and environmental education were delayed, and actions for managing visitors flows within natural protected areas were scarcely reported by the media. Our study is a first step for the identification and characterization of the strategies implemented by the entities managing protected natural areas and their ability to address the avalanche of visitors. Additionally, it reduces the existing research gap in studies of the impact of COVID-19 on the management of protected natural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]