TURTLE CONSERVATION ECOTOURISM AND
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
July 28-29, 2009
A new tourism policy in the French West
Indies:
from the end of the tourist resort of
mass towards a new policy for
sustainable tourism and ecotourism
Dominique AUGIER
Université Antilles-Guyane - CEREGMIA
INTRODUCTION
The study of tourism in Martinique immediately
comes up against an astonishing ambiguity; the
neighbouring islands, so similar in nature, drink
incessantly from this source of wealth and yet the
current seems to deliberately avoid Martinique
despite their best efforts to redirect it their way
(Cazes 1968).
This recognition of the limits of mass tourism is at the
origin of late awareness of the need to define another
model for tourism development.
Thinking about ecotourism helps to highlight the
destinations of these delays and difficulties in
adapting to new tourism practices.
Plan
1. Tourism on Martinique
2. The need to develop alternative
approaches: ecotourism at the heart of
the discussion
3. Turtles, an asset for marine
ecotourism
-1Tourism on Martinique
A belated tourism
development
• Based on the
classical three
S: sun, sea and
sand
120 0000
100 0000
800 000
600 000
• A promising
sector
400 000
200 000
0
198 5
199 0
199 5
199 8
Short break touris ts
Cruise ship passengers
Other sightseers
TOTAL
200 0
200 5
Plea sure boat enthusi asts
A sector in crisis from the
end of the 90s
- A
lack
of
consistency and
rationality
in
the
tourism
policy
- Loss of
attractiveness
-
To summarise…
• depreciation of tourism,
• economic limitations,
• ecological nuisance
• fragility of the ecosystems
develop alternative approaches
-2The need to develop
alternative approaches
ecotourism at the heart of the
discussion
Theory of ecotourism
• Ecotourism is associated with activities that
have a limited impact on the physical and
cultural environment (Weaver,2001;Lequin 2001,
2002)
• An instrument for sustainable development
at the centre of new governance models
(WTO 2003 and 1992)
• A new conceptual framework that can be
used to implement revitalised development
procedures based on revenue from a better
thought out and organised tourism
consumption (Blamey 2001)
• A form of tourism that has a marginal
impact on host areas and societies (Scace,
Ecotourism based on forest
resources
Ecotourism based on marine
resources
-3Turtles, an asset for marine
ecotourism
Turtles and ecotourism
•5 species of turtles
•Protected by the
decree of 14 october
2005
•Restoration plan for
turtle’s protection
•The Turtles network
of Martinique
QuickTime™
et un
un
QuickTime™
et
un
QuickTime™ et
décompresseur
sont requis
requis pour
sont
sont
requis
pour visionner
visionner cette
cette image.
image.
The Turtles Network of
Martinique
•DIREN : project supervisor
•ONCFS : coordination and animation
•SEPANMAR and other associations :
communication and awareness, monitoried field
activities
•Diving clubs : do survey on diving sites
Some projects :
nocturnal followed, counting traces,
participation in beach cleaning actions,
Intervention under the Global Days of the Ocean
in schools …
Conclusion
Since the end of the 1990s, tourism has undergone a
noticeable recession in the French West Indies within a
background of strong regional competition. The islands must
reconsider their position within the regional marketplace.
For destinations like Martinique that based their tourism on
the traditional resources of tropical beaches, ecotourism has
become unavoidable.
Ecotourism, an original product for a more
authentic image
• A better distribution of tourists
• Economic attractiveness
• The involvement of local people in tourism
• The protection of natural resources
Nevertheless, the position of Martinique on ecotourism is
still unclear. There are only individual initiatives in spite of a
real ecotourism policy.
Bibliography
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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AUGIER D. (2005). L’écotourisme à la Martinique, mémoire de Master, Université
Antilles-Guyane, Faculté de Droit et d’Economie.
AUGIER D. (2007), « L’écotourisme forestier : pour un rapprochement entre
tourisme et environnement à la Martinique », Études caribéennes, 6/2007,
L'écotourisme
dans
la
Caraïbe.
URL : http://etudescaribeennes.revues.org/document440.html. Consulté le 05
juillet 2009.
Caribbean Tourism Organization (2002), Caribbean Tourism Statistical Report
(2000-2001 Edition), St.Micheal (Barbados), CTO.
CAZES G. (1968). « Le développement du tourisme à la Martinique ». Les Cahiers
d’Outre -Mer, t.21, n°83, p. 225-256.
COUTUREe, M. (2002) : « L’écotourisme, un concept en constante évolution »,
Téoros, 21 (3) , pp. 5-13.
DEHOORNE O. (2007). « Les déboires du tourisme à la Martinique », Travaux et
documents, n°32, p.85-106.
DIRECTION REGIONALE DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT (2009), Profil environnemental de
la Martinique,pp. 43-54 .
LEQUIN, M. (2001) : Ecotourisme et gouvernance participative, Presses de
l’Université du Québec.
OBSERVATOIRE DU MILIEU MARIN MARTINIQUAIS (Mars 2006), Esquisse
cartographique au 1/100 000e des biocénoses benthiques de la Martinique,
OFFICE NATIONAL DE LA CHASSE ET DE LA FAUNE SAUVAGE (Janvier 2006), Plan
de restauration des tortues marines des Antilles Françaises
SHELLER, M. (2003), Consuming the Caribbean : From Arawaks to Zombies, London
and New York, Routledge.
http://web.martiniquetourism.com
http://www.tortuesmarinesantilles.org
Thank you for your attention…