1 - Visitor management

Some geomorphological features like dunes, vegetation types and species are particularly sensitive to the disturbance of high density recreation. Managers often close parts of these sensitive areas for the public, sometimes during the breeding season of the birds; some areas can only be visited by guided excursions. Control of visitors implies a recommendation to restrict recreation in natural self-regulating dune landscapes, especially during the breeding season. This measure also concerns beaches and the nearby surrounding of the dune area, which have higher recreation pressure than the dunes. Carrying capacity must be taken into account.

2 - Zoning

Management zones should be established according to the natural and/or cultural values of a protected area and the particular fragility and carrying capacities within it. Thus zoning strategies and regulations in dune areas can be used to concentrate visitors in some areas and/or disperse them in others. In this way, extreme pressures of tourist activity can be restricted to more resilient environments and the most rigid protection measures applied for ecosystems. Before the establishment of these particular zones, carrying capacity should carefully determined.
Practical examples for recreation management are given for the Dunes of Texel, the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes, Meijendel dunes, the North-Holland Dune Reserve and  Terschelling, all in The Netherlands and for the Westhoek Dunes  (Belgium).
Another practical management option is for example implemented on the East Frisian Islands in the National park of  Lower Saxony. The park is divided into three zones. One of these zones is open for visitors and nature values are protected.
Zoning may even result in the artificial creation of special recreation areas. In Denmark in 1975 the Køge Bay Beach Park was created to concentrate visitors in an artificial recreation area.