The method of coastal recreational potential estimation (for the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland)

The most important quality criterion of beaches estimation is presence of the Blue Flag (BF). There are 60 countries including Russia, which participate in program BF. There are quite a number of methods estimate the parameters of the beach, one of which is a program of BF. However, it´s difficult to apply the program on the Russian beaches because of incompatibility of systems caused by the lack of Russian legislative base and others reasons. As a result the technique of the estimation and development of recreational potential of the coastal zone based on following independent parameters has been applied in the work: geological and climatic processes, socially-demographic position in region (public opinion on the basis of questioning); a policy of development of region are named `correcting factors´ (CF). Maximum load-carrying capacity of the beach which defines effective utilization of recreational potential has been calculated with the use of knowledge of the beach´s parameters and CF.