dossier sur le tourisme et le développement durable

Political scope
development in the tourist sector depends on their level of satisfaction and any membership to a
consumer or militant association such as defence of the environment, human rights, etc. The
still marginal but significant development of tourism that is “equitable and based on solidarity” is
proof of their potential influence. Yet, despite mobilisation against the more shocking aspects of
tourism such as sex tourism or direct pollution, tourists are rarely made aware of the technical
aspects of the issue of the environment and sustainable development. The changes in
consumer tastes do not guarantee that tourism will effectively become a driving force for
sustainable development in the Mediterranean.
The populations and the local authorities are involved on the spot over the long term, either
through attachment to their area or because of economic interests. They are not a
homogeneous group: analyses of tourism often insist on “the interests of the local populations”,
without differentiating between these populations. What is there in common between a
landowner interested in short-term capital return, a professional from the tourist sector who
wants to improve turnover, a resident who is exasperated by the over-abundance of summer
visitors and a retired person, a former tourist, who wants to maintain the quality of the landscape
and the quality of life?
The NGOs for development and the environment have shown recent but growing involvement in
the development of Mediterranean tourism. The WWF, for instance, has taken a stand with
regard to mass tourism in the Mediterranean and is involved with “Friends of Earth” in rural
tourism development in Greece. There are also more worldwide campaigns such as that led by
the “International Friends of Nature” concerning the taxing of kerosene for air transport. Their
influence on consumers can be important and they could contribute expert appraisal on
environmental issues for the developing destinations. The Mediterranean NGO Med-Forum is
also very much present in tourism with its Ulixes 21 project.
Frame 17: A WWF pilot program for the preservation of 10 Mediterranean eco-regions
After a two-year investigation period on the Mediterranean coasts, the worldwide fund for nature
(WWF) has drawn a map of the areas that have the richest collection of living species but also which
are the most exposed to tourist pressure. Emphasis was placed on the 10 regions where biodiversity
is the most threatened. Projects have been launched on the Dalmat coast of Croatia and in
the South of Turkey. Others are planned in the North of Tunisia, on the coast of Alboran (Spain,
Morocco), the Liguro-Provence coast. (France, Monaco, Italy), the Corsican-Sardinian coast
(France, Italy), the Southern Tyrrhenian coast (Italy), the islands and the Ionian coast (Albania,
Greece), the Aegian Sea and the south-west of Anatolia (Greece, Turkey) and the Gulf of Gabes
(Tunisia).
Source: WWF newsroom, 2002
The national and supranational public authorities
The States and their services, both by their competence to intervene and also by their role as
arbitrators and anticipators, can obviously play an important role. Their involvement in tourism is
currently evolving (see below).
International organisations bring to light a more global view of tourism development. Their
involvement in tourism varies according to the organisation, the period of time and the country
concerned. The World Bank, for instance, supported many tourist projects in the 1970s
(Morocco) before calling this type of activity into question as a priority project. Some
international organisations take up the banner of tourism depending on the political timetable. In
2002, the international year for eco-tourism, some organisations were involved in this sector for
the first time. Finally, as tourism is a world-wide economy, the importance of these international
organisations can be measured in terms of better control of the industry.
It is interesting to point out that institutional organisations are very different in the countries of
the Mediterranean, depending on the type of tourism and the political culture. In France, for
instance, the movement for local development and decentralisation considerably strengthened
67