Education and certification for beach management: is there a difference between residents versus visitors?

Much of the literature surrounding beach management and pro-environmental behaviour focuses on social norms, certification and beach management and their relation to education, gender and age. Utilizing 1611 quantitative surveys from four Ontario beaches, this study builds upon past research to test three key hypotheses to understand to what extent education, certification, social norms and beach satisfaction are differentiated by the type of visitor. This research found that residents and older beachgoers were more likely to utilize environmental education programs. While residents were more likely to visit a beach with Blue Flag certification, they were less likely to support the notion of municipalities having to maintain the award. In contrast, those who were older, more highly educated, and/or female were more likely to support municipalities maintaining certification. Blue Flag, although relatively new to Canadian and Ontario beaches, may be a differentiator that helps to contribute to both environmental protection and marketing. As such, educating the public of the benefits derived from certification programs needs to be the focus of those looking for these programs to be utilized.