National Parks

Cabrera is one of Spain’s 14 National Parks which represent the most valuable ecosystems in the country and compose 6% of nation’s total protected areas (347.08 hectares) (Navalpotro, 2012).   These parks were identified for their high ecological and cultural importance, “where conservation is considered of general interest for the nation” (Navalpotro, 4).  The primary priorities for management of a natural space categorized as a National Park are preservation of biodiversity, maintenance of environmental services, and tourism and recreation.

The National Park Network employs approximately 1,400 people and hosts around 10 million visitors every year, up from 2.2 million visitors in 1984 (Navalpotro, 2012).  The rapid growth of the National Parks tourism sector led to flourishing of associated service industries, but left little time for proper planning to cope with the sudden pressures of tourism.  In an investigation executed by the Spanish National Park Service, the overall National Park System scored the lowest (2 out of 4) in the category of planning (Muñoz-Santos, 2008).  The WTO estimates that by 2020 tourism in Europe will increase by 36%.  Now without proper management the rapid growth of the tourism industry threatens to destroy the very attractions that drew the visitors there in the first place.