Spatio-temporal evolution of sports tourism industry integration: A empirical analysis of Xinjiang in China.

Since the issuance of the "Guiding Opinions on Vigorously Developing Sports Tourism" in 2016, the integration of sports and tourism has become a strategy in regional economic development. It creates new economic growth points, enhances local images, and promotes cultural communication. In the context of the "Tourism Makes Xinjiang Thrive" strategy, quantitatively investigating the integration of the sports and tourism industries helps people to better understand their interaction which can serve as the valuable input in policy-making for the comprehensive development of a region. This paper uses entropy weight method, stochastic frontier analysis and coupling coordination model to quantitatively analyze the effect of sports tourism industry integration in Xinjiang from the perspective of integration path. Meanwhile, the Dagum Gini coefficient and nuclear density estimation were used to analyze the regional differences and dynamic evolution of industrial integration quality. The result shows that (1) The sports and tourism integration quality in Xinjiang has not reached the optimal goal of complete integration. In the process of mutual industrial promotion, tourism promotes a higher degree of integration with the sports industry. (2) The industrial integration quality shows a phenomenon of "imbalance and inadequacy" among the regions. The regions with high quality of industrial integration were Urumqi, Ili, Kashgar, Altay and Changji, which have rich sports tourism resources. (3) The overall spatial difference in the quality of industrial integration presented a fluctuation downtrend. The difference between the tourism industrial belts was very significant.

Risk perceptions and behaviors concerning rural tourism and economic-political drivers of COVID-19 policy in 2020.

When COVID-19 was first introduced to the United States, state and local governments enacted a variety of policies intended to mitigate the virulence of the epidemic. At the time, the most effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 included stay-at-home orders, closing of nonessential businesses, and mask mandates. Although it was well known that regions with high population density and cold climates were at the highest risk for disease spread, rural counties that are economically reliant on tourism were incentivized to enact fewer precautions against COVID-19. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the multiple policies to reduce transmission, and the changes in outdoor recreation behavior had a significant impact on rural tourism destinations and management of protected spaces. We utilize fine-scale incidence and demographic data to study the relationship between local economic and political concerns, COVID-19 mitigation measures, and the subsequent severity of outbreaks throughout the continental United States. We also present results from an online survey that measured travel behavior, health risk perceptions, knowledge and experience with COVID-19, and evaluation of destination attributes by 407 out-of-state visitors who traveled to Maine from 2020 to 2021. We synthesize this research to present a narrative on how perceptions of COVID-19 risk and public perceptions of rural tourism put certain communities at greater risk of illness throughout 2020. This research could inform future rural destination management and public health policies to help reduce negative socioeconomic, health and environmental impacts of pandemic-derived changes in travel and outdoor recreation behavior.

Impact of rural soundscape on environmental restoration: An empirical study based on the Taohuayuan Scenic Area in Changde, China.

Previous studies on environmental restorative effects have mainly focused on visual landscapes, and less on the influence of soundscapes on restorative, but soundscapes play a crucial role in restorative environments, especially rural soundscapes, but there is insufficient existing theoretical evidence on the subject. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of Rural Soundscape Perception on Environmental Restoration Perception, and introduces two affective variables, tourism nostalgia and place attachment, to explore the mechanism of Rural Soundscape Perception on Environmental Restoration Perception, as well as the moderating role of the number of trips is also discussed. Based on the theory of restorative environment, this study took the Taohuayuan Scenic Spot in Changde, Hunan Province, China, as the case site, and selected the rural soundscape in the area as the research object; a total of 506 valid data were collected through questionnaire surveys, and structural equation modeling was used to validate the collected data. It was found that rural soundscape perception had a significant positive effect on tourism nostalgia, place attachment, and environmental restoration perception. The results also showed that tourism nostalgia and place attachment mediated the relationship between rural soundscape perception and environmental restoration perception. Additionally, the results revealed that the number of trips did not play a moderating role in the structural relationship between rural soundscape perception and environmental restoration perception. Last, the results of the study shed light on the complex influence path of "rural soundscape perception→tourism nostalgia→place attachment→environmental restoration perception", which provides a new perspective for understanding the mechanism of the rural environment to people's health, and also has a certain guiding significance for the landscape planning of rural tourism sites.

Sustainability evaluation of sports tourism using a linguistic neutrosophic multi-criteria decision-making method.

Sports tourism represents a novel industrial manifestation of the profound integration between the tourism and sports sectors. The objective of this research is to examine an innovative multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method for the sustainability evaluation of sports tourism. The largest innovations are the expression and treatment of ambiguous data and interdependent evaluation criteria in the sports tourism sustainability evaluation process. On the one hand, intricate assessment data is represented using linguistic neutrosophic numbers (LNNs), which employ three linguistic variables to convey uncertainty and imprecision. On the other hand, to effectively capture the interrelationships among inputs, two novel aggregation operators are proposed. They are devised based on the Einstein operations and Heronian mean operators of LNNs. Subsequently, a linguistic neutrosophic evaluation method utilizing the aforementioned operators is presented. Comparative and sensitivity analyses conclude that great interdependence exists among five different dimensions of sustainability evaluation in sports tourism, and the proposed method can reflect the interrelations among inputs without redundant calculations.

Asymmetric modeling of regional tourism economic disparity in China.

China's tourism economy has experienced significant regional disparities. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the intricate mechanisms through which the interplay of influential factors gives rise to such disparities. Utilizing statistical data from the tourism economy of 31 provinces in mainland China, this study investigates regional tourism economic disparity through the asymmetric modeling of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The findings reveal that the causes of regional tourism economic disparity exhibit asymmetry; varying approaches contribute to the formation of high and low levels of tourism economy; the functioning of the most influential factors is impacted by other antecedent conditions, presenting an asymmetric non-linear effect; favorable transportation convenience is a necessary condition for a high level of tourism economy, while poor tourism attraction is a necessary condition for a low level of tourism economy. This research not only introduces a fresh perspective on regional tourism economic disparities, enabling an in-depth comprehension of the complex interactions and nonlinear functional mechanisms of influential factors, but also explores a region-based tourism development model, offering valuable practical guidance for policymakers in the tourism sector.

Impact of ecological presence in virtual reality tourism on enhancing tourists' environmentally responsible behavior.

In an era where environmental conservation is increasingly critical, identifying pathways through which technological innovations like virtual reality tourism (VRT) can promote sustainable behaviors is vital. This study investigates the impact of 'ecological presence', a newly proposed sub-dimension of presence in VRT, on tourists' environmentally responsible behavior (TERB). Through structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of data from 290 participants, we unveil that ecological presence-defined as the authenticity and immersion of tourists in virtual ecological environments-significantly bolsters biospheric values, environmental self-identity, and personal norms. Additionally, our findings indicate that ecological presence in VRT indirectly promotes TERB, predominantly through the mediation of enhanced biospheric values and environmental self-identity. Notably, ecological presence, biospheric values, and environmental self-identity constitutes a sufficient condition for achieving a high level of TERB. This research highlights the potential of VRT as an innovative tool for tourism administrators to foster environmental stewardship, offering a novel approach to leveraging technology for conservation efforts.

Early warning on safety risk of highly aggregated tourist crowds based on VGGT-Count network model.

In the era of mass tourism, more and more people are attracted by internet-famous site. With people's demand for travel surged, tourists are getting together in one scenic spot with doubling numbers, which easily leads to high concentration of tourists with uncontrollable security risks. It needs to be highly valued by the tourism department. Monitoring and issuing warnings for crowd density in scenic areas with Highly Aggregated Tourist Crowds (HATCs) is an urgent challenge that needs to be addressed. In this paper, Highly Aggregated Tourist Crowds is taken as the research objective, and a VGGT-Count network model is proposed to forecast the density of HATCs. The experimental outcomes demonstrated a substantial improvement in counting accuracy for the ShanghaiTech B and UCF-QNRF datasets. Furthermore, the model allows for real-time monitoring of tourist attractions, enabling advanced prediction of high concentrations in scenic areas. This timely information can alert relevant authorities to implement preventive measures such as crowd control and flow regulation, thereby minimizing safety hazards.

Characterizing barriers and facilitators of metabolic bariatric surgery tourism: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic bariatric surgery tourism continues to rise and has become a growing concern for bariatric surgeons globally. With varying degrees of regulation, counselling and success, those that develop complications may have to deal with a multitude of challenges often distant from their country of operation. The aim of this study was to characterize the barriers and facilitators influencing individuals to undergo metabolic bariatric surgery tourism, in order to better understand the implications to the National Health Service and other healthcare systems. METHODS: A systematic literature search, restricted to the English language, was performed to identify relevant studies. All studies were included until December 2022, the last search date. Study quality was assessed with the validated mixed-methods appraisal tool. A Braun and Clarke thematic analysis was undertaken to identify themes and subthemes. RESULTS: A total of five studies met the inclusion criteria. Identified themes included: availability, accessibility, cost, eligibility, reputation, and stigma; the available evidence was of varying quality. CONCLUSION: This work identifies a series of subthemes influencing the decision to undertake metabolic bariatric surgery tourism. The results highlight the limited literature available in understanding the complex motivational insights; the scale of the problem in the current healthcare system; cost and long-term outcomes. A National Emergency Bariatric Surgery audit would allow generation of more robust data to explore further the issues of clinical relationships and networks and to guide policy making.

Retinal injury from a laser skin resurfacing device during medical tourism: a public health concern.

BACKGROUND: Laser skin resurfacing is a popular cosmetic procedure for noninvasive skin rejuvenation. Since health insurance plans often do not cover these types of procedures, patients often pay out of pocket. Consequently, there is an incentive to go abroad, where prices are more affordable. However, practitioners in destination countries may lack rigorous training on laser safety, regulatory oversight, or licensing, especially on devices used for "cosmetic" procedures. In certain cases, this can lead to tragic outcomes, especially when underqualified practitioners operate medical-grade laser devices. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old woman suffered a retinal burn from a handheld Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser pulse device used to perform skin resurfacing treatment at a medical spa in Vietnam. The patient was not adequately informed about the potential risk to her vision and was not provided with any eye protection. A momentary, unintended laser exposure to the patient's right eye led to irreversible vision loss due to a macular burn. This incident caused immediate pain, followed by the sudden appearance of floaters, along with a retinal and vitreous hemorrhage. Despite treatment with off-label bevacizumab for the development of a choroidal neovascular membrane, vision remained at the level of counting fingers because of the presence of the macular scar. CONCLUSION: When utilizing laser-based devices, it is crucial to employ safety measures, such as the wearing of safety goggles or the use of eye shields to protect ocular tissues from potential damage. The growing availability of cosmetic laser devices presents a substantial public health risk, because numerous operators lack adequate training in essential safety standards, or they neglect to follow them. Furthermore, patients seeking services abroad are subject to the regulatory practices of the destination country, which may not always enforce the requisite safety standards. Further research is needed to determine regional and global incidence of laser-related injuries to help direct educational and regulatory efforts.

Growing coastal tourism: Can biomonitoring provide insights into the health of coastal ecosystems?

Coastal tourism's surge raises concerns for Morocco's Agadir marine environment, notably with Taghazout Bay's impact. Our study assesses Taghazout's health, employing a comprehensive approach. Our study evaluates Taghazout's health, adopting a comprehensive approach covering physicochemical, microbiological aspects, macrobenthic fauna, metal pollution, and biomarkers in D. trunculus mollusks. Seawater quality aligns with Moroccan standards, indicating good bathing water. The intertidal zone hosts ten species, dominated by D. trunculus. Biomarker responses in D. trunculus suggest chemical stress. Land-use maps expose significant changes driven by the Taghazout Bay project, impacting approximately 37.99 % of the landscape. Construction activities notably encroached upon the Arganeraie and the coastal zone, creating a stark contrast from 2003. These findings form a crucial database for future studies, contributing significantly to environmental management and sustainable development, aiding informed decision-making and effective coastal ecosystem preservation strategies.

A ticket to where? Dwindling snow cover impacts the winter tourism sector as a consequence of climate change.

Climate change affects human activities, including tourism across various sectors and time frames. The winter tourism industry, dependent on low temperatures, faces significant impacts. This paper reviews the implications of climate change on winter tourism, emphasising challenges for activities like skiing and snowboarding, which rely on consistent snowfall and low temperatures. As the climate changes, these once taken-for-granted conditions are no longer as commonplace. Through a comprehensive review supported by up-to-date satellite imagery, this paper presents evidence suggesting that the reliability of winter snow is decreasing, with findings revealing a progressive reduction in snow levels associated with temperature and precipitation changes in some regions. The analysis underscores the need for concerted efforts by stakeholders who must recognize the reality of diminishing snow availability and work towards understanding the specific changes in snow patterns. This should involve multi-risk and multi-instrument assessments, including ongoing satellite data monitoring to track snow cover changes. The practical implications for sports activities and the tourism industry reliant on snow involve addressing challenges by diversifying offerings. This includes developing alternative winter tourism activities less dependent on snow, such as winter hiking, nature walks, or cultural experiences.

Building resilience in primate tourism: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic and future directions.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic revealed the vulnerability of the tourism industry, triggering a call for a structural shift. This study focuses on COVID-19 impacts on primate tourism sites using the resilience-based wildlife tourism study of Jones et al. (2023) as an interpretive framework. Using an online survey, we collected data on impacts, changes, and challenges experienced at primate tourism destinations in various parts of the world. Based on 33 responses, the study found that the most profound impacts were financial, compromising the ability to run facilities and facilitate tourism due mainly to limitation of access to sites for tourists and/or staff/researchers. Seventeen respondents reported that their sites did not make substantial changes in response to the pandemic. This warrants further study to elicit the reasons for the lack of response. It may indicate difficulties in adaptation or implementation due to limited resources or other factors amid COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest that the framework proposed by Jones et al. (2023) has limitations in effectively addressing rapid and extensive repercussions of a disruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety and health measures compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic for community-based tourism in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Community-based tourism (CBT) in Thailand faces challenges in adapting to COVID-19 prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to evaluate levels of knowledge, practice, and compliance regarding safety and health measures of the entrepreneur in managing CBT under the Safety and Health Administration (SHA) standard in the new normal situation. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on twenty-one entrepreneurs from three CBTs in three districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat, in the months of February-May 2021. Levels of knowledge and practice were evaluated by questionnaires and compliance level was evaluated by SHA standard checklist. The level of knowledge and practice were categorized sufficient and insufficient, while compliance level was categorized as high or low if scores met or exceeded 80%, based on Bloom's cut-off point. Information on sociodemographic characteristics was also gathered. Fisher's exact test with a 95% confidence level (α < 0.05) was used for statistical analysis. The findings revealed that 66.7% and 38.1% of the establishments in the study had sufficient knowledge (Mean ± SD: 46.9 ± 7.2, Max: 55.0, Min: 33.0) and sufficient practice (Mean ± SD: 40.4 ± 9.2, Max: 55.0, Min: 29.0), respectively. In addition, the study found that knowledge level was significantly associated with practice level at a p-value of 0.018. However, compliance level was not related to knowledge and practice. In conclusion, the low level of compliance was due to a lack of understanding and motivation to comply with the standard, and the budget of small establishments in CBT for bringing them up to the SHA standard was quite limited. Therefore, the related organizations should use a variety of strategies to encourage entrepreneurs, such as partnership building and resource support.

Dynamic linkages between tourism development, renewable energy and high-quality economic development: Evidence from spatial Durbin model.

There has been a shift in focus toward environmentally and economically sustainable forms of economic growth known as High-quality economic development (HQED). However, this study analyzes the impact of tourism development (TD) and renewable energy consumption on HQED in 30 provinces of China, while covering the time period from 2007 to 2021. TD and HQED has been measured with help of Global Moran Index. This study has used dynamic spatial Durbin model (SDM) to measure the dynamic impact of TD index and renewable energy consumption on HQED along with green finance, foreign direct investment and investment in education. The findings from empirical analysis shows that TD has negative impact on HQED and in more developed regions, the relationship is positive, while in the less developed western part of China, the U-shape has been reversed. Central and northeastern China have a U-shaped connection, while it has been noticed the interaction term of TD and renewable energy endorses HQED. In addition, renewable energy consumption, green finance and increase in education investment have positive and significant impact on HQED while foreign direct investment has negative impact on HQED in China. Therefore, in the light of this study policymakers should focus on the quality of tourism industry, green finance for renewable energy supply and enhancing education investment in China to attain the goal of HQED.

Detecting potential cooperative network for tourist attractions in a destination using search data.

This study addresses the critical need for regional tourism integration and sustainable development by identifying cooperation opportunities among tourist attractions within a region. We introduce a novel methodology that combines association rule mining with complex network analysis and utilizes search index data as a dynamic and contemporary data source to reveal cooperative patterns among tourist attractions. Our approach delineates a potential cooperative network within the destination ecosystem, categorizing tourist attractions into three distinct communities: core, intermediary, and periphery. These communities correspond to high, medium, and low tourist demand scales, respectively. The study uncovers a self-organizing network structure, driven by congruences in internal tourist demand and variances in external tourist experiences. Functionally, there is a directed continuum of cooperation prospects among these communities. The core community, characterized by significant tourist demand, acts as a catalyst, boosting demand for other attractions. The intermediary community, central in the network, links the core and periphery, enhancing cooperative ties and influence. Peripheral attractions, representing latent growth areas within the destination matrix, benefit from associations with the core and intermediary communities. Our findings provide vital insights into the dynamics, systemic characteristics, and fundamental mechanisms of potential cooperation networks among tourist attractions. They enable tourism management organizations to employ our analytical framework for real-time monitoring of tourism demand and flow trends. Additionally, the study guides the macro-control of tourism flows based on the tourism network, thereby improving the tourist experience and promoting coordinated development among inter-regional tourist attractions.

[Hospital emergencies due to alcohol consumption in times of COVID-19 on the Costa del Sol (Spain)]. / Urgencias hospitalarias por consumo de alcohol en tiempos de la COVID-19 en la Costa del Sol.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption is a Public Health problem that impacts the health, social and economic spheres. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergencies (ARI) in an area of high recreational tourism, and the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on this activity. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the period of ARI emergency activity in the Costa del Sol Hospital Area during the years 2019-2021 was carried out. A stratified descriptive analysis was performed according to the COVID-19 pandemic period, including the calculation of the incidence of ARI emergencies attended daily. Descriptive analysis was performed evaluating differences between the three periods using the Chi-Square test for qualitative variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for quantitative variables. RESULTS: During the study period, 479,204 hospital emergencies were recorded, of which 0.51% were identified as ARI emergencies, with an average of 2.2 per day. This figure ranged from 2.7 emergencies per day during Normality, 1 during Confinement and 2.1 during new normality. The rate of ARI emergencies for the period evaluated was 16.5 per 10,000 inhabitants/year. CONCLUSIONS: The patients treated for alcohol consumption in our series have a typical profile in terms of age (adult) and sex (male), although with a high relative weight of foreign patients. Restrictions due to confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic have a positive impact on the emergency care of ARI patients, although correlated with a generalised decrease in non-COVID-19 related care activity.

OBJECTIVE: El consumo de alcohol es un problema de Salud Pública que impacta en la esfera de la salud, tanto como a nivel social y económico. Fueron objetivos del presente estudio describir las características de las Urgencias hospitalarias relacionadas con consumo de alcohol (RCA) en una zona de alto turismo lúdico, y las implicaciones de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en dicha actividad. METHODS: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo de periodo de la actividad de Urgencias RCA en el Área Hospitalaria Costa del Sol durante los años 2019 a 2021. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo estratificado según el periodo de la pandemia de la COVID-19, incluyendo el cálculo de la incidencia de Urgencias RCA atendidas diariamente. Se realizó análisis descriptivo evaluando diferencias entre los tres periodos mediante el test de Ji-Cuadrado para variables cualitativas, y el test de Kruskal-Wallis para las cuantitativas. RESULTS: En el periodo de estudio se registraron 479.204 Urgencias hospitalarias, de las cuales el 0,51% se identificaron como urgencia RCA, con un promedio de 2,2 diarias. Dicha cifra osciló entre 2,7 urgencias diarias en periodo de Normalidad, 1 durante el Confinamiento y 2,1 en periodo de nueva normalidad. La tasa de Urgencias RCA del periodo evaluado fue de 16,5 por cada 10.000 habitantes/año. CONCLUSIONS: Las personas atendidas por consumo de alcohol de nuestra serie tienen un perfil habitual en cuanto a edad (adulto) y sexo (varones), aunque con un peso relativamente elevado de pacientes extranjeros. Las restricciones por el confinamiento durante la pandemia por la COVID-19 tienen un impacto positivo en la atención urgente de pacientes RCA, aunque correlacionado con un descenso generalizado de la actividad asistencial no relacionada con la COVID-19.

Social egg freezing and reproductive rights justification: A perspective from China.

Divergences and controversies are inevitable in the discussion of freedoms and rights, especially in the matter of reproduction. The Chinese first social egg freezing lawsuit raises the question: is the freedom to freeze eggs for social reasons justified because it is an instance of reproductive rights? This paper accepts social egg freezing as desirable reproductive freedom, but following Harel's approach and considering two theories of rights, the choice and interest theories of rights, we argue that social egg freezing is not a reproductive right because one cannot justify a right or an instance of rights via merely describing the function of those instances that have been justified as right, that is, the choice theory lacks justifying normativity. Since reserving fertility and a suspension from reproduction do not serve reproductive ends per se, the sufficient reason for demanding social egg freezing as a right should be found in other ends rather than in right-to-reproduce, that is, the interest theory denies the demand as a right-to-reproduce. Permitting it on any grounds without guaranteeing adequate and accessible resources, especially in light of cross-border reproductive care, raises serious questions about reproductive equality and violates the idea of reproductive rights. Therefore, any ground for social egg freezing should be weighed against whether more pressing reproductive needs, specifically those that are justified as rights, have been met. It would be social progress to shoulder these burdens for the vulnerable and then allow social egg freezing-if right-to-reproduce were not the only privilege of the few.

Renewable energy consumption - financial globalization-tourism nexus with nonlinearity and cross-sectional dependence during Asia's carbon-free transition.

Adopting renewable energy consumption is one of the most important aspects of international efforts to combat climate change, improve energy security, and encourage the shift to a more robust and sustainable energy system. Therefore, the empirics and policymakers worldwide are searching for factors that can promote renewable energy consumption. This analysis intends to investigate the role of financial globalization and tourism on renewable energy consumption in Asia and sub-regions such as Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. The analysis utilized the linear and nonlinear CS-ARDL methods. Long-run outcomes of the linear and nonlinear models confirm that a rise in financial globalization and tourism promotes renewable energy consumption in Asia and all sub-regions. However, the nonlinear model highlights that a fall in financial globalization hurts renewable energy consumption in Central and South Asian regions, and tourism only hurts renewable energy consumption in Asia. In addition, ICT, GDP, and GHG emissions help promote renewable energy consumption. These results suggest that Asian policymakers must increase collaboration in the financial sectors and promote sustainable tourism in the regions to promote renewable energy consumption.

Spatio-temporal variation and ecological risk assessment of microplastics along the touristic beaches of a mediterranean coast transect (Valencia province, East Spain).

Annually, the Mediterranean region attracts around one-third of the global coastal tourism, which is acknowledged as a substantial contributor to plastic pollution. Coastal municipalities mitigate this through periodic sand and shore cleaning. However, the efficacy of these measures remains uncertain. In this study, the occurrence of MPs (10 µm-5 mm) in sand from seven different, regularly cleaned, touristic beaches of the coastline of Valencia province (E Spain) was assessed. Two different sampling campaigns were performed in winter and in summer (2022) to compare the results and understand the influence of the high touristic activity, as well as, the efficiency of the measures taken against MPs pollution. The methodology used was designed specifically for the matrix and employed density separation using a Sediment Microplastic Isolation (SMI) Unit. In addition to conventional visual inspection and ATR-FTIR, automatic quantification and identification of the polymers of lower size was performed by µFTIR. The average MPs concentration in the summer (339 ± 92 MP kg-1 by stereomicroscopy and 339 ± 189 MP kg-1 by µFTIR) was significantly higher than in the winter (71 ± 92 MP kg-1 and 143 ± 85 MP kg-1) (p < 0.05). The combination of these analytical tools provides comprehensive information about the MPs present in beach sand. Fibers were the most abundant form of MPs, while most of the polymers analyzed were polyethylene (PE) and halogenated polystyrene (Cl-PS and Br-PS) with food packaging, swimming equipment and fishing nets being their most probable sources. Ecological risk assessment was performed through the Pollution Load Index (PLI), the Hazardous Index (HI) and the Risk Quotient (RQ), with the results indicating potential risk that ranges from moderate to high depending on the applied approach.