The Recreational use Value in Spanish Protected Natural Landscapes: Proposal for a Nature Park “Serran?a de Cuenca”

Environmental protection is not at odds with the proper use of all the offered possibilities. Along these lines, the touristic products available to the consumer has increased exponentially over the last few years which has made it possible to convert territorial and patrimonial resources into significant elements of recreational use put into value at service of the consumer. Surveys on the recreational usage value in protected national parks are still incipient in Spain and so it is highly recommendable analyse what their future possibilities are and what applications are feasibly achievable. If the various options are taken into account for evaluating the natural resources currently available to tourists, this paper examines a proposal for studying the values of the recreational use of the “Serran?a de Cuenca” national park, which occupies more than fifty thousand hectares in the Province of Castilla-La Mancha. Taking into consideration that large number of varied tourist segments that it is possible to encounter in a market, protected natural landscapes have become truly differentiating elements in a quality touristic offer that strictly meets the most demanding sustainability criteria.