Blue Marketing: New Perspectives for the Responsible Tourism Development of Coastal Natural Environments

Gema Ramírez-Guerrero, Alfredo Fernández-Enríquez, Manuel Arcila-Garrido and Juan Adolfo Chica-Ruiz ()
Additional contact information
Gema Ramírez-Guerrero: Department of Marketing and Communication, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain
Alfredo Fernández-Enríquez: Department of History, Geography and Philosophy, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain
Manuel Arcila-Garrido: Department of History, Geography and Philosophy, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain
Juan Adolfo Chica-Ruiz: Department of History, Geography and Philosophy, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: Tourism development in coastal zones is often guided by marketing strategies focused on promotion, without real integration with the ecological, identity, and planning challenges facing these territories. This disconnection compromises environmental resilience, dilutes local cultural identity, and hinders adaptive governance in contexts of increasing tourism pressure and climate change. In response to this problem, the article presents the concept of Blue Marketing, a place-based, sustainability-oriented approach designed to guide communication, product development, and governance in marine and coastal destinations. Drawing on socio-environmental marketing and inspired by Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), the study proposes a Blue Marketing Decalogue (BMD), structured into three thematic blocks: (1) Ecosystem-focused sustainability, (2) cultural identity and territorial uniqueness, and (3) strategic planning and adaptive governance. Methodologically, the decalogue is empirically grounded in a territorial diagnosis of the Barbate–Vejer coastal corridor (Cádiz, Spain), developed through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), local planning documents, and field observations. This case study provides a detailed analysis of ecological vulnerabilities, cultural resources, and tourism dynamics, offering strategic insights transferable to other coastal contexts. The BMD incorporates both strategic and normative instruments that support the design of responsible tourism communication strategies, aligned with environmental preservation, community identity, and long-term planning. This contribution enriches current debates on sustainable tourism governance and provides practical tools for coastal destinations aiming to balance competitiveness with ecological responsibility. Ultimately, Blue Marketing is proposed as a vector for transformation, capable of reconnecting tourism promotion with the sustainability challenges and opportunities of coastal regions.

Keywords: Blue Marketing Decalogue (BMD); coastal tourism; sustainable tourism governance; place-based marketing; resilience; community participation; Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM); strategic planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/3/136/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/3/136/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:6:y:2025:i:3:p:136-:d:1700063

Access Statistics for this article

Tourism and Hospitality is currently edited by Mr. Philip Li

More articles in Tourism and Hospitality from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().