MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN

Rapport de l’Atelier sur le tourisme et le développement durable en Méditerranée
Antaly (Turquie), 17, 18 & 19 septembre 1998
“Overview – Provisional Summary” is presented in the form of a short report (14 pages)
laid out in accordance with the ten following points:
1. The Mediterranean has four major tourist advantages, which explain the high pulling
power of this region.
2. The Mediterranean is one of the main tourist destinations worldwide.
3. Tourism is the main economic activity in the Mediterranean.
4. Tourism in Mediterranean countries remains however unequally spread over space
and time.
5. The diversity and relative weight of actors largely condition the mode of development
of tourism in the Mediterranean territories.
6. Well thought out and well integrated, tourism is a very powerful drive towards
sustainable development in the Mediterranean.
7. However if badly thought out and badly managed, tourism can become a major cause
of deterioration of the Mediterranean coastal environment and a source of
destabilisation to local society.
8. Thus these impacts are the source of the first social reactions and changes.
9. Mediterranean tourism still has a powerful potential for growth.
10.Conclusion.
The questionnaires, which were called “information sheets”, were designed to bring the
maximum amount of information, according to an even table which would allow later
comparison. The table was specific to each category of addressee. Information sheets
were addressed to:
• Eighteen experts appointed by countries (two countries and the E.U. did not
appoint any experts),
• Six experts appointed by the NGOs (two NGOs did not respond),
• Ten Tour operators (selected by the restricted group of experts),
• Fourteen hotel Federations (ditto).
The answers to the questionnaires were then compiled, in order to present together all
answers obtained to the same question (See Appendix 1). This compilation was not
translated and the document is in two languages. This work assisted further
comparative analysis.
Case studies, received early enough, were translated and set into a common format (See
Appendix 2). They were categorised according to three criteria (destination size, tourist
development stage, importance of tourism in destination business) which allowed ten of
them to be selected for presentation and discussion during the workshop.
Questionnaires responses, in addition to case studies, made up basic information for the
workshop, and were sent out to all participants some ten days before the workshop.
Unfolding of the Workshop
Turkey took upon itself the practical organisation and financing of the workshop which
was held in Antalya from the 17th to the 19th September 1998.
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Plan Bleu