Navigating Pandemic Waves: Portugal's Beach Management Approach to Covid and Insights for the Future

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected beach management in Portugal, requiring authorities to balance public health with outdoor recreation. New protocols were implemented to reduce virus transmission, including reassessing beach carrying capacities for social distancing and developing real-time communication channels for beach use information. This paper presents a review of the strategies employed in managing beaches in Portugal during the COVID-19 era (2020 and 2021), highlighting the challenges faced and the solutions implemented. An online survey was conducted among beach users, aimed at assessing their perceptions of implemented measures and impacts. This survey was supplemented in 2021 by fieldwork on 3 beaches in the Algarve region (southern Portugal) and interviews with concession owners and municipal technicians. The questionnaire, accessible online in 2020 and 2021, collected approximately 650 responses. Despite its limited scale, it allowed the collection of valuable insights into users' behaviours and attitudes. In 2020, there was awareness of the measures adopted and a perceived sense of safety and comfort on beaches, albeit with some variance based on beach type and weekday. In 2021, users exhibited a more relaxed attitude towards safety measures. Fieldwork confirmed the results and interviews showed resistance to the adopted measures mainly from smallest concessions, while municipal technicians held a positive perspective. Furthermore, certain measures were positively received by beach users as they enhance comfort and the overall recreational experience. The pandemic highlighted the need for proactive planning and collaboration, suggesting that future beach management should focus on sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity.