Multidimensional Impact Assessment of Water Sports Tourism on Coastal Urban Development: A Comparative Study of Genoa and Aveiro

As European port cities transition from industrial hubs to the "Blue Economy," coastal tourism has emerged as a significant driver of economic growth and employment. However, this shift is accompanied by persistent challenges, including port pollution, coastal ecosystem degradation, and "blue gentrification." Consequently, evaluating both the ecological-economic and social values derived from water sports tourism is pivotal for ensuring the sustainability of coastal ecosystem services. Existing assessment methodologies predominantly focus on measuring direct economic contributions, often overlooking the spatial heterogeneity of economic flows, supply chain environmental externalities, and hidden environmental costs. This study employs an integrated economic-ecological coupling analysis framework applied to two distinct coastal regions: Genoa, Italy, and Aveiro, Portugal. Utilizing Multi-Regional Input-Output Models (MRIO), the research traces the economic value added generated by water sports tourism (e.g., equipment procurement and yacht leasing). In conjunction with Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis (EE-IOA), the study performs Natural Capital Accounting to quantify the "hidden environmental costs" associated with coastal ecological strain in Genoa and lagoon degradation in Aveiro. This approach calculates the Net Economic Contribution of water sports tourism, providing a robust quantitative basis for assessing "eco-efficiency." Simultaneously, the study applies Social Exchange Theory (SET) to analyze local residents' perceptions of water sports tourism and the phenomenon of "blue gentrification," thereby preventing decision-making distortions that arise from an exclusive focus on economic valuation to the detriment of social concerns. By comparing two distinct types of transitioning port cities while accounting for spatial heterogeneity, this research addresses the methodological challenges inherent in assessing coastal ecosystem services within the intertwined nexus of tourism, environmental quality, and community well-being. These primary valuation estimates will contribute to improving value transfer functions for coastal and blue space ecosystem services, addressing critical data gaps in existing databases,and providing empirical evidence to substantiate value transfer functions for future meta-analyses.