dossier sur le tourisme et le développement durable

10
Tourist flows
The seasonal nature of tourism in the Mediterranean has several origins. As far as demand is
concerned, the organisation of the school timetable conditions the dates when the families
depart on holiday, largely dominated in Europe by the summer holidays. Besides this, the
Mediterranean does not have a climate that is favourable for sea bathing throughout the year
and the latter is still the dominant product of the region, so there is a reinforcement of this
seasonal tourism. However, the reduction in work time, the diversification of annual time that
this brings with it, the increase in the number of retired people who are not dependent on school
holiday periods, will perhaps lead to a better spread of tourism over the year.
1.6. The domination of leisure trips at the seaside
Mediterranean tourists have more and more varied expectations due especially to the evolution
of lifestyles. There is a development of short stays and of the phenomenon of a new type of
tourism: holiday homes become permanent residences and more and more people have
several residences. Yet, we should avoid classifying tourists in fixed categories. Tourist trips
rarely have only one motivation and tourists do not consider themselves as “cultural tourists” or
“eco-tourists”. The choice of a holiday destination depends more and more on the existence of a
variety of alternatives from which the consumers can make a choice: the morning swimmer is an
eco-tourist in the afternoon and festival spectator in the evening; the business traveller stays a
few more days for pleasure, and so on. A seaside holiday should not be opposed to alternative
holidays: current evolution is more in the direction of diversity and enriching of seaside tourism,
that remain unavoidable, than in the direction of the developing of alternatives.
The main motivation for trips (Figure 4) is one of the criteria that helps to distinguish the
diversity. In 2001 leisure trips dominated with 80% for this category (motivation: leisure,
recreation and holidays) in Spain, Cyprus and Egypt. Professional reasons ranged from 2% in
Egypt to 40% in Italy. Other reasons (including visits to friends and relatives, medical treatment,
religion and pilgrimages) continue to be important (48% in Israel, 39% in Morocco, 16% in Italy).
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Source: WTO
Figure 4: International arrivals in 2001 by purpose of visit
Spain Italy Cyprus Albania Turkey Syria Egypt Morocco
Slovenia Israel
Leisure, recreation and holidays Business and professionnal Other
Cruises (Figure 5) are also in full development: the demand for cruises has multiplied by three in
Europe since 1985 (by 7 in Great Britain, by 3 in Germany, by 5 in Italy). The Mediterranean
represents 20% of worldwide cruises (the Caribbean: 42%; Northern Europe: 20%). In 1999, 49
operators deployed 104 ships with a capacity of 72 548 beds. From 1990 to 1997 the offer in
the Mediterranean increased by 130% (and the number of ships by 105%). The number of
passengers is expected to double between 1998 and 2005.