Impact of physical geographical factors on sustainable planning of South Baltic seaside resorts

The objective of the article is to give a comprehensive assessment of the impact that physical geographical factors of the coastal environment have on the South Baltic seaside resorts in the way it is reflected in planning documents (comprehensive plans, regional and tourism development strategies) of South Baltic seaside territorial entities. The seaside resorts and the adjacent coastal protected nature areas, particularly coastal national parks and UNESCO biosphere reserves, are the main focus of this study. The contents of 141 valid documents of spatial planning, management and development has been analysed. The studied comprehensive development plans, tourism strategies and other documents demonstrate that virtually all seaside municipalities in the South Baltic Region express a strong concern in increasing risk of coastal erosion and sea level rise related to the global climate change.