Ecological benefits of tourism management and the challenges of habitat classification

Nature-based tourism is increasingly popular, with destination competitiveness tied to natural assets or protection status. While tourism often poses conservation challenges, limited research explores its potential ecological benefits when management aligns ecological and visitor experience goals. We examine how management practices intended to enhance tourism offerings affect plant diversity in a Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation. We also investigate how habitat classification influences conservation outcomes in two distinct habitat types: the more sensitive Machair Grassland and the less sensitive Fixed Dunes. Habitat classification criteria may affect biodiversity protection, site vulnerability, and the impact of tourism. Using a grazing exclosure experiment, we assess how grazing management influences plant diversity, measured by Simpson’s index. We compare the effects of grazing on biodiversity under the current Fixed Dune classification and an alternative classification as Machair, highlighting the impact of classification on conservation management outcomes. We demonstrate that appropriate grazing management significantly enhances plant diversity, providing evidence for the ecological benefits of managing for both tourism and conservation goals. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that habitat classification criteria can directly affect conservation management outcomes for protected habitats. This study challenges the prevailing 'war-on-tourism' narrative, supporting a synergistic management approach where tourism and conservation are jointly aligned, essential as nature-based tourism continues to grow. Emphasising the imperative of understanding habitat classification and ecological benefits for effective alignment of tourism and conservation.