1. Why Biodiversity Matters to a Tourism Destination
Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services
Natural capital refers to the ecosystems, habitats, species, soils, water bodies, landscapes and ecological processes that generate benefits for people and economies. For Sardinia, natural capital is not a background condition for tourism. It is part of the island’s operational foundation as a destination.
Beaches, coves, coastal waters and striking landscapes are the most visible expressions of this capital. Yet their quality and resilience depend on less visible processes: dune formation and sediment movement; the ecological functioning of wetlands and lagoons; the health of marine habitats; groundwater recharge; vegetation cover; soil stability; forest condition; and the maintenance of agricultural and pastoral landscapes.
These systems support residents and visitors simultaneously. They influence the quality of water and public space, the resilience of coasts, the availability of local food and products, the attractiveness of walking and cycling routes, the identity of rural areas and the conditions for marine and nature-based activities.
| Ecosystem-service category | Sardinian examples | Relevance to destination management |
|---|---|---|
| Regulating services | Coastal protection, dune stabilisation, water regulation, erosion reduction, filtration, carbon storage and microclimate moderation | Ecological degradation can increase public expenditure on adaptation, maintenance and infrastructure protection |
| Supporting services | Habitats for terrestrial and marine species, ecological connectivity, nutrient cycling, soil formation and marine productivity | Tourism quality depends on ecological processes that cannot be replaced by marketing or construction |
| Provisioning services | Freshwater, fisheries, agricultural products, pastoral production and local food systems | Tourism demand may compete with household and productive uses, particularly in peak season or drought conditions |
| Cultural services | Landscape, heritage, recreation, education, sense of place, identity and well-being | A differentiated visitor economy depends on maintaining locally meaningful places, not merely creating attractions |
This framework does not imply that every ecosystem service should be translated into a monetary value. Many environmental benefits are collective, cultural and intergenerational. Their importance cannot be fully expressed through market price or visitor expenditure.
Its purpose is to make a practical point: ecological systems are economically relevant even where no direct transaction takes place. A wetland can regulate water, store carbon, support wildlife and reduce flood exposure without being a tourism attraction. A Posidonia oceanica meadow may not be visible to most beach users, but it supports marine biodiversity and contributes to wider coastal ecological processes. A rural landscape may generate no ticket revenue, yet support local food, cultural identity, outdoor activity and the visual integrity of the destination.
For this reason, the management of natural capital should not be treated as a specialist conservation issue delegated only to environmental agencies. It has direct implications for tourism planning, coastal access, visitor mobility, accommodation development, public-space management, water use, waste prevention and infrastructure investment.
A destination that invests in promotion while allowing its natural capital to decline is weakening the resource base that makes promotion effective. By contrast, protection, restoration and careful management of ecosystems can reduce climate and infrastructure risk, maintain destination quality and support a more resilient visitor economy.
The task for Sardinia is not to turn all ecological resources into tourism products. It is to recognise which resources require protection, restoration, controlled access or low-intensity use—and to ensure that tourism development remains compatible with the ecological processes on which the island’s long-term value depends.