Applying visitor monitoring methods in coastal and marine areas – some learnings and critical reflections from Sweden

This paper addresses the lack of attention that so far has been given towards the challenges involved in applying visitor monitoring methods in open coastal and marine landscape settings. The topic is still largely overlooked in spite its importance for developing professionalized visitor monitoring procedures for coastal and marine areas. As a response, a monitoring case study from Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden, is introduced with a purpose to test and evaluate different applied visitor monitoring methods in a typical coastal and marine setting and with a special focus on reporting important challenges and experiences in this regard. Results are presented as three lessons that are discussed critically, including specific issues around sampling strategies and representativity of monitoring results, weather conditions in coastal and marine areas, and the need for a mixed-method strategy to acquire accurate results. Methodological contributions mainly concern how these challenges can be addressed and improved with the inclusion of new monitoring strategies based on different technological opportunities. Thoughts on management implications are also included. The paper serves as a central contribution to research discussions on applied visitor monitoring methods in coastal and marine areas as well as an important addition to existing visitor monitoring manuals.