Development of the tourism industry in overseas departments and collectivities of France in the conditions of a global economic crisis

Abstract

The French tourism sector is one of the fastest growing and profitable sectors of the country’s national economy, and France itself should be at the forefront of deriving great benefits from tourist services. At the end of the last decade, the Republic was visited by over 81 million tourists, which generated more than 6% of the GDP, and provided employment to approximately 2 million individuals. Since the 60s of the twentieth century, the development of tourism has covered also the departments and territories (DOM-TOM), endowed with numerous material evidence of the colonial past and rich natural potential. These regions offer a variety of activities, and are now prestigious tourist destinations. The aim of the present study is to outline the characteristics of the French tourism industry in communities and overseas departments of France, in the conditions of the global economic crisis. The global decline in productivity, coupled with an increase in public debt in numerous countries, contributed to the regression of the tourism industry, both in international traffic, as well as on the internal market. According to a UN report, the WTO includes France into a group of five countries with the highest reception of passenger traffic (-7.8%). When analysing the French overseas tourism industry, expressed by the production of goods and tourism services, attractive areas, a range of accommodation with the evolution of tourism, and the average length of stays have all been studied. The article describes and assesses the potential of the tourism product, with particular emphasis on the traditional alternative forms of tourism, especially in the departments where non-European ecotourism is popular. Taking into consideration the diversity of French qualified and maritime tourism, their brief characteristics have also been included. By analysing tourism development strategies, such as the Schémad'aménagement et de développementtouristique (Scheme Planning and Tourism Development) and the ProgrammeSectoriel en Agritourism (Agritourism Sector Development Programme), authors attempt to answer questions about the validity and effectiveness of these initiatives, in times of growing competition and decreasing share in the foreign tourist market.