Caroline TAFANI, UMR 6240 CNRS LISA / Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli, France
Corsica is one the most touristic islands of the western Mediterranean, receiving 10 tourists per inhabitants (around 3.2 million tourists) each year. Well-known as a “mountain in the sea”, the contrasted geography of the island - made of sandy and rocky beaches and of high mountains- is very attractive to the tourist populations. But also, its preserved identity (a local language, a typical gastronomy, a specific history related to the Italian period) is clearly sought after by tourists’ consumers. Seen as a “conservatory of authenticity”, Corsica is also very well preserved: it counts many natural protected areas (nature reserves, UNESCO site, NATURA 2000 areas, etc.) which are also very attractive to the tourists (Calanche de Piana, Lavezzi islands, Monte Rotondo reserve, etc.). On these bases, the public stakeholders want to make Corsica known outside for being a “green island”. However, one’s can ask whether its marketing tagline is really deserved. In particular, beyond the natural protected area and the cultural Heritage, what do the local actors to turn Corsica a “green island”? Precisely we will examine the organisation of the local tourism stakeholders within the sustainable development of the island: Is there any green labels? Who are the stakeholders invested in? The private sector (Eu-label) or the public actors (Agenda 21)? What is really done by the tourism sector to implement a sustainable development and to support the tourism transition in Corsica? Because it seems necessary to think and design this transition in an island where the tourism activity is still concentrated on two months (50% of the visits during July and August) and on the coastal areas.
Mots clés : Corsica|tourism|sustainability|green development|transition
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