Mass or elite tourism in fragile areas

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Mass or elite tourism in fragile areas
Dr. T. Ramdin Mauritius 9th March 2005
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INTRODUCTION

• Mass Tourism
• Elite Tourism or Luxury Tourism
• Fragility

Intensive use
Toxic tourism
Overdevelopment
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• Human beings main agents in fragility
• Factors determining no. of tourists
• Elite tourists now using charters / scheduled
  flights
• Mass tourism more responsible for fragility
• High investment required for tourism development

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TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN WATERFRONT / COASTAL AREAS

• Tourism World Industry No. 1
• From Alexandria to Venice
• Island States

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• Position of Mauritius in the world

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Map of Mauritius
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ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF TOURISM SECTOR

• Tourism of paramount importance in national
  economy
• Example of islands of south west Indian Ocean,
  notably the Seychelles and Mauritius prime
  destinations
• In Mauritius some 11 of the population live off
  tourism

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FRAGILITY

• Originating from earth crust, land, ocean and
• atmosphere
• Examples of Florida, Japan and the Philippines
• The cataclysm of Tsunamis
• Coastal tourism shattered
• Rehabilitation lengthy and hardly affordable
• Good management of coastal resources essential
• Examples of METAP involving particularly Morocco,
  Tunisia Algeria

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• Identifiable health hazards and / or ecological
  damage now affect 25 of the Mediterranean
  coastline
• Some other factors in fragility
• fire and gang feuds
• The cost of fragility an example from
  Mauritius

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ECONOMIC FRAGILITY

• Recession in tourist source areas
• Reasons for preference of higher class tourists
• Concept of Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS), as in
  Mauritius

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CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS FRAGILITY

• Differences in beliefs and customs
• Education, understanding and tolerance
• Role of media, NGOs and CBOs
• Resorts must be sociable, vibrant and buzzing
• Political fragility
• Terrorism
• Example of Sri Lanka, Dubai and Mauritius

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EXTERNAL FACTORS IN FRAGILITY

• Epidemics
• Unpredictable natural catastrophes
• Air crashes
• Ship wreckages

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SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

• Awareness of environmental fragility of resorts
  vital
• Increased local population, land consumption, car
  use, effluents, flooding degrade coastal resorts
• EIAs seek large consensus and promote
  sustainability holistic approach
• EIAs to be fully effective have to be legal
  documents
• EIAs to be continual

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PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING POLICY FOR FRAGILE TOURIST
COASTAL AREAS

• The example of Singapore

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• Thank you for your attention

Dr. T. Ramdin Mauritius 9th March 2005