ABSTRACT
Since the very beginnings of tourism as a significant human activity the coastal environment has been a major drawcard (Feifer 1986). The marine environment has engendered a sense of wonderment, awe, reverence and fear since humankind evolved, and much of that early mystique has remained to the present. The coastal environment has been an essential element in tourism since Roman times (Ostia outside Rome was one of the earliest coastal resorts) and the coast is as important today as it has been at any time in its history. Demands and expectations may have changed but the coast has retained its human fascination.
