Green Economy in a Blue World-Full Report

1 Introduction This chapter reviews the major issues of relevance for the greening of tourism in the Blue World. Coastal tourism, which includes ‘the full range of tourism, leisure, and recreationally oriented activities that take place in the coastal zone and the offshore coastal (Hall, 2001), has been identified as the largest tourism market segment globally (Orams, 1999) (Hall, 2001). Tourism in coastal zones makes use of the sea, beaches, landscapes, biodiversity, food, and cultural and built heritage. It includes a diversity of activities that take place in both coastal zones and coastal waters, which involve the development of tourism capacities (hotels, resorts, second homes, restaurants, etc.) and support infrastructure (ports, marinas, fishing and diving shops, and other facilities). Marine tourism is closely related to the concept of coastal tourism but also includes ocean-based tourism such as deep-sea sports fishing and cruising (Hall, 2001). The economic importance of coastal tourism is unquestionable, although due to data limitations there is no comprehensive analysis of the sector’s contribution to the global economy. The Mediterranean Basin alone hosted some 250 million visitors in 2008. In France, tourism provides 43 per cent of jobs in coastal regions, generating more revenue than fishing or shipping. In the UK, tourism to the coast is worth £110 billion (approximately US$171 billion)

and employs more than 1.3 million people (5% labour force) (Williams, 2011). In most Small Island Developing States, coastal tourism is a major employer, such as Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, and Anguilla, where tourism employs over 80 per cent of the labour force. Worldwide, coastal tourism is gaining importance (UNEP, 2011). The attraction of quick economic profit from the tourism industry, brought by the investment of huge sums of capital and associated real estate speculation, is often seen as an easy way to support national and regional economies and generate employment. Many regional and national governments, especially in developing countries, have provided incentives for investment in coastal resorts via tax exemptions, low tax rates, subsidized infrastructure provision, low cost of land, land alienation, fast tracked or no environmental assessment, and/or low cost government backed investments loans (Hall, 2008). This perception has led many coastal areas to experience constant and often very uncontrolled growth of tourism activity. Because of the growing realisation that uncontrolled coastal tourism development has significant externalities and opportunity costs, increasing attention is now being given to more strategic approaches to tourism investment that is integrated with environmental and social goals. Over recent decades, coastal zones have increasingly tended to be considered as

in a Blue World

Tourism in the Mediterranean countries

International tourism receipts US dollars, per capita

Croatia

3 000

2 500

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Slovenia

Lebanon

Montenegro

2 000

1 500

International tourism receipts share Percentage on total export of goods

1 000

France

Italy

More than 90 30 to 60 10 to 30 Less than 10

Albania

Spain

Turkey

Greece

Malta

Cyprus

Tunisia

Syria

500

Morocco

Israel

Egypt

Algeria

Lybia

Source: Plan Bleu, elaborated from WTO.

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