Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable … › sites › default › files › upload › files › ...Tourism in the Mediterranean: Moving towards more sustainable modes of transport?

Work

ing do

cumen

t

Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development Follow-up

Tourism in the Mediterranean: Moving towards more sustainable modes of transport?

1. Breakdown of international tourist arrivals by mode of transport (air, rail, road, sea)

The development of sustainable tourism requires the promotion of more environmentally-friendly modes of transport. Transport contributes significantly to global warming and pollution. One way to combat climate change would be to explore the possibility of implementing taxation systems on transport, applied particularly to sea and air transport to islands, thus contributing to sustainable regional development. Although the number of international tourist arrivals increased in 2006 (325,109,000 arrivals) compared to 2005 (308,407,000 arrivals), the breakdown of transport used did not change. At 52%, road transport continues to be the most commonly used means of reaching holiday destinations, followed by air transport, accounting for 40% of arrivals. These two modes of transport make the largest contribution to global warming, and together they represent a massive 92% of international tourist arrivals. Arrivals by sea (6%) and rail (2%) account for a much smaller proportion of journeys, the latter remaining the means of transportation the least used by tourists, despite the progress made with the high-speed rail (TGV) system in the northern countries of the Mediterranean. If the issue is examined by destination, the islands of Malta and Cyprus are highly dependent on air transport, due to their geographical situation (98% and 92% of arrivals respectively). Large numbers of tourists visiting Croatia (93%), Syria (88%) and Slovenia (78%) arrive by road.

Morocco and Monaco emerge as the destinations with the most arrivals by sea (30% and 29% respectively) and France is the country with the most arrivals by train (6%), on account of its TGV network.

Definition This indicator measures the breakdown of international tourist arrivals by mode of transport (air, rail, road, sea) as a percentage or whole number.

Precautions/Notes This indicator gives an idea of the CO2 emissions related to international tourism transportation, by calculating emissions from the distances travelled and the ratio of CO2 emissions for each mode of transport. The ideal approach would be to calculate CO2 emissions by country of destination according to the mode of transport used, analyse the transport modes that predominate and then to be able use national or local policies to promote and encourage more environmentally sustainable transport. This indicator can also be used for a feasibility study on taxation systems for different modes of transport. This indicator does not take into account the arrival of cruise ships, because we are focusing on tourist arrivals rather than arrivals of visitors in general. It is also worth noting that most arrivals to the Maghreb are by sea, but in this case, maritime transport is only one part of the journey. Sources/References: IFEN, EC, UNWTO and PLAN BLEU

Breakdown of international tourist arrivals by mode of transport in the Mediterranean (2006)

Source: Plan Bleu, UN-WTO

Breakdown of international tourist arrivals by mode of transport in the Mediterranean (2006).

Source: Plan Bleu, UN-WTO

Indicator TOU_CO1 Updated on 18/06/2009

Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t

Monitoring the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development

Protected areas in the Mediterranean: the delicate trade-off between promoting natural heritage for tourism and protecting the environment

3. Changes in visitor numbers to protected areas

Tourist visitors in 16 protected areas in the Mediterranean (in thousands) The development of sustainable tourism requires the promotion of sustainable tourism offers and products. Adapting tourism to the constraints and opportunities provided by protected natural areas, with a view to preserving biodiversity and natural and cultural heritage, is one way of promoting and generating revenue for a protected area through tourism. Visitor numbers to protected areas have been increasing over the years. In Spain, national parks have seen substantial growth, with the number of visitors quadrupling in 17 years (1984: 2.4 million, 2001: 10 million). In Morocco, the number of visitors to Toubkal National Park more than doubled in 10 years (1993: 15,000 visitors, 2003: 40,000 visitors). Of the 16 protected areas that were analysed, the Port Cros National Park in France is the most frequently visited, with one-and-a-half million visitors per year. This is followed by the National Marine Park of Zakynthos in Greece and the Ordesa National Park in Spain, with 600,000 visitors per year. By calculating the tourist pressure on the protected area, we can determine the density of use of the environment. Port Cros has the highest density of visitors: 606 people per hectare per year, with 304 on the land area and 433 on the marine area.

Definition This indicator measures changes in visitor numbers to protected areas in the Mediterranean. It is used to determine the pressure on protected areas from tourism (in relation to the area, the coastline, etc.) and to determine the diversification of tourism away from seaside tourism.

Precautions/Notes This indicator could be used to anticipate the damage that tourism may inflict on the environment, and to implement more effective approaches for managing the flow of visitors, such as determining the carrying capacity of the protected area. In many cases, managing tourism and enhancing the site will involve design solutions to better direct tourists or visitors and to conserve the most endangered areas. It is important to realise that, depending on the characteristics of the protected area, it may be difficult to count the number of tourists and day visitors who access it. Combining this indicator with data on seasonality would supply more information about tourist pressure on the environment. Sources/References: IFEN, UNWTO, UNEP, IUCN, WWF, UNESCO, Ramsar, Natura 2000

Source: MPAs and Sustainable Management of Tourism, MEDPan 2006/WDPA/Red de Parques Nacionales Españoles Workshop

Number of visitors in the protected areas (visitors/hectare/year)

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from MPAs and Sustainable Management of Tourism, MEDPan 2006/WDPA/Red de Parques Nacionales Españoles Workshop


Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


What is the contribution of marina construction to urban development of the coastline?

4. Average distance between marinas and Number of berths per km of coastline.

Reducing the adverse territorial and environmental effects of tourism is one of the orientations set out in the tourism component of the MSSD. The infrastructure needed for yachting as a tourist activity is very space-hungry, with large marinas contributing to the manmade development of the shoreline. Other negative impacts should also be mentioned, such as the destruction of shallows, disruption of coastal currents and chemical and bacterial pollution. The Mediterranean countries with the most marinas per kilometre of coastline are Monaco and Gibraltar, with an average distance between marinas of 2 and 4 km respectively. France, Spain and Slovenia (with a highly built-up coast) come next, with an average of one marina every 15 km. Italy is the country with the largest number of marinas (233) (followed by Spain (177), Greece (133) and France (117)), but has an average distance of 32 km between ports, due to its long coastline (7375 km). The Mediterranean countries with the least built-up coastline are Egypt, Cyprus and Turkey, with average distances between marinas of 239 km, 195 km and 173 km respectively. The first chart gives an overview of marina distribution. However there may be significant disparities between regions within any given country. Closer analysis is necessary to see the concentration of marinas in areas of tourist interest.

Calculating the number of berths per km of coastline gives an idea of the intensity of use and of the waste generated by this kind of use. The country with the largest number of berths per km of coastline is Monaco, with 244 boats per km. France has 45 berths per km, followed by Spain, which is the Mediterranean country with the largest number of berths (up to 80,000), has 34 boats per km.

Definition This indicator measures the average distance between marinas and number of berths per km of coastline.

Precautions/Notes This indicator highlights the contribution of marinas to the phenomenon of coastal development and more specifically, the building of manmade shorelines. This indicator, along with data on the collection of wastewater and waste in ports, could be used to estimate the level of chemical and bacterial pollution caused by yachts. The loss of marine ecosystems due to the construction of marinas could also be estimated. This indicator can give an idea of the yachting carrying capacity of a region, destination or country, and on this basis it would be possible to estimate the economic benefits of this type of tourism. Sources/References: UNWTO and Plan Bleu

Average distance between marinas (km)

Source: Plan Bleu from various sources

Number of berths per km of coastline

Source: Plan Bleu from various sources


Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Can tourism be staggered in the Mediterranean? 5. Seasonality of tourism in coastal areas

Sustainable tourism requires the promotion of a more balanced distribution of tourists in terms of destinations and seasons. Most of the environmental impacts are heightened by the seasonality of tourism. Of 12 Mediterranean countries for which international tourist arrivals and tourist nights per month were analysed (Spain, France, Greece, Monaco, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia), Croatia was found to be the country with the highest level of seasonality. Its coefficient of variation between the quietest and the busiest month was 48.9 in 2008 (January: 54,359 tourist arrivals; August: 2,659,000), with a 5-month high season (from May to September). The second most seasonal country is Cyprus, with a coefficient of variation of 6.8 between January and July 2008 (50,658 vs. 342,554 tourist arrivals). The number of overnight stays from May to October is greater than the monthly average for the year. Changes in seasonality in Cyprus from 2006 to June 2009 follow the same trend: a growth in arrivals from January to July and a decline from July to December, which is particularly pronounced between September and October. Tourism in Greece is highly seasonal, with 6.3 times more tourist arrivals in August 2007 (3,015,094) than in November 2007 (477,445). The busiest months are May to September, and there are low levels of tourist arrivals

between January and March. In Turkey, the level of seasonality changed little between 2006 and 2008. The country has extremely pronounced summer seasonality, with a coefficient of variation of 5.6 between January (782,786 tourist arrivals) and August (3,762,136). Tunisia saw an increase in international arrivals between 2005 and 2008, with numbers peaking in August and hitting a trough in January, with a coefficient of variation of 3. Slovenia is the sixth most seasonal country with 3 times as many tourist arrivals in August 2008 (283,306) than in November 2008 (82,253). From 2006 to 2008, seasonality followed the same trend, with arrivals highly concentrated between June and September. Spain and France, both mature tourist destinations, have lower levels of seasonality (coefficients of variation of 2.6 and 2.8 respectively), although the summer remains the busiest period. High season in Spain lasts for 8 months, from March to October. Monaco and Israel have almost non-existent seasonality, with tourist numbers spread throughout the year. In Monaco, the seasonal peak was in June for 2006 and 2007; in Israel, May and October were the busiest months in 2008. These peaks are related to pilgrimage tourism, trade fairs, religious and political events. In Syria, seasonality is not particularly marked, with two peaks in July and December 2007 and with lows in February and September, due to Ramadan.

Arrivals of international tourists in 2008 (Maximum = 1)

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from national sources

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region in France, which includes the popular French Riviera, has extremely high seasonality, with a coefficient of variation of 48. The peak for PACA is in August. 62 million overnight stays were registered in August 2008, with 2.5 million concentrated on the 15 August alone. There is a dramatic drop-off in arrivals from August to September. The number of overnight stays in July and August is significantly higher than the monthly average across the year. Looking at the figures for overnight stays from 1996 to 2008, the month of January consistently has the lowest number of tourists and there is always an increase in overnight stays in December due to the Christmas holidays.

Definition This indicator measures seasonal pressure expressed as the number of overnight stays and international tourist arrivals per month, calculated nationally and by destination.

Precautions/Notes This indicator can be used to: determine changes in tourist seasonality over the years; find out whether seasonality has increased or decreased for a given period of the year; compare the different countries of the Mediterranean and coastal destinations to determine whether seasonality applies over the same periods; implement measures to reduce seasonality in destinations, regions and countries.

Sources/References:

UNWTO, PLAN BLEU

Tourism


Work

ing do

cumen

t


Environmental certification: where do the Mediterranean countries stand?

06. Share of tourism accommodation facilities that have ISO 14001 or EMAS certification

The first “orientation” of the MSSD is to reduce the adverse territorial and environmental effects of tourism. Tourist accommodation is a major consumer of natural resources. In recent years, responses have been provided to the pressures on the environment from tourist accommodation, through the creation of accreditation schemes, the definition of charters or in the form of environmental certification. These correspond to a growing awareness in the private sector of the increasing importance of the environment to clients. In 2005, the grand majority of ISO 14001-certified companies were based in Japan and China. Spain was in third place ahead of Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, South Korea and Sweden. In late December 2008, at least 188,815 ISO 14001:2004 certificates had been awarded in 155 countries. The 2008 total represents an increase of 34,243 certificates (a 22% rise) over the 2007 total, which was 154,572 certificates in 148 countries. Unlike ISO, which is an international standard, EMAS covers the European Union. In 2010, Germany was the highest-ranked country, with 1890 EMAS-certified sites, followed by Spain and Italy. In the Mediterranean, Spain and Italy hold the top two places, with 1537 sites certified in Spain and 1460 in Italy in 2010. Greece, the next country after Italy, numbers 819 EMAS-certified sites. France, in fourth position, is far behind Greece with only 17 sites. Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia are lagging behind in terms of

EMAS certification, each with fewer than 10 sites. With respect to EMAS certification specifically for tourist accommodation facilities, Spain, Italy and Greece have data that can be analysed. The accommodation studied comprised hotels and similar establishments, as well as campsites. Despite its second place in the Mediterranean, Italy has very little tourist accommodation with EMAS certification: 11 campsites and only 14 hotels. Its total number of hotels, similar establishments and campsites (36,750) is, however, well above the numbers in Greece and Spain. Hence only 0.07% of accommodation is EMAS-certified in Italy. Of its 18,026 hotels, Spain has 136 that have been awarded environmental certification, representing 0.79% of all hotels. Similarly, only 16 out of a total of 1228 campsites have obtained certification. Greece has only one EMAS-certified establishment, a hotel, out of a total of 9706 hotels and campsites, representing 0.01% EMAS certification. France, Cyprus and Slovenia have no EMAS-certified tourist accommodation facilities. Definition This indicator measures the number of tourist accommodation facilities with ISO or EMAS certification as a proportion of the total number of accommodation facilities. Sources/References: EMAS, ISO, Plan Bleu, Eurostat

Greece Spain Italy

Total number of establishments

9,706 19,25 36,75

EMAS-certified 1 152 25

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from EMAS, Eurostat


Tourism

EMAS-certified campsites, hotels and similar establishments, 2008

EMAS-certified campsites,

hotels and similar establishments, 2010

GR ES IT

EMAS Sites and organisations, 2010

MT

SI

CY

FR

GR

IT

ES

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Blue Flag, the eco-label for beaches and marinas 7. Number of marinas and beaches awarded the "Blue Flag"

The Blue Flag quality eco-label for beaches and marinas has become a reference in the fields of tourism, environment and sustainable development. The flag recognises and promotes those beaches and marinas that have acceptable levels of environmental quality. Moreover, it is a scheme with significant influence in terms of tourism, since high environmental quality represents added value when choosing between destinations. Slovenia ranks highest in the Mediterranean, with two of its three marinas having been awarded the Blue Flag. Turkey is also well placed, with 47% of its marinas flying the Blue Flag, the most recent of which was granted in 2009. Next comes Spain, with 41% high-quality marinas, a proportion that has remained stable since 2008. France lies in 5th place, with 33% of its marinas flying the Blue Flag. A significant number of Blue Flags were lost in 2009 (30 marinas in France lost the label). In Croatia, 26% of marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag. While four new Blue Flags were awarded in Italy this year, the overall figure remains at 26%. Further progress could still be made, given the large number of marinas in Italy (60 of its 233 marinas have the Blue Flag).

The situation is more critical in Greece, with only 6% Blue Flag marinas and in Tunisia, with only 1 out of 29. With respect to beaches, in 2009, there was a significant decrease in Blue Flag awards in France (86 beaches lost their eco-label during this year), Croatia (11 Blue Flag beaches lost), Morocco (down 7) and Slovenia (down 1). In contrast, Turkey is the country that this year received the most Blue Flag awards for beaches (28), followed by Italy (15 extra beaches), Greece (9 beaches), Tunisia (5 beaches), Montenegro and Cyprus (each with one extra beach).

Definition This indicator measures the number of marinas and beaches awarded the Blue Flag, compared to the total number of marinas and/or beaches.

Precautions/Notes Not all Mediterranean countries use the Blue Flag: only 8 countries have Blue Flag marinas and 10 have Blue Flag beaches. This indicator can be used to assess the quality of beaches and marinas in the Mediterranean, and also to promote, through the Blue Flag scheme, quality tourism in the destination in question: good environmental practice is a means to promote a destination.

Sources/References: UNWTO, Blue Flag, Plan Bleu

Number of marinas with Blue Flag

Source: Plan Bleu 2008, Blue Flag 2009

Source: Blue Flag 2009

Tourism

Indicator TOU_CO3 Updated on 01/09/2010 Indicator TOU_C07

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Are jobs in tourism sufficiently well paid in Mediterranean countries?

8. Average salary in the tourism sector compared with the average salary

One of the orientations of the MSSD with regard to tourism is to increase the added value of tourism for local communities. Jobs in tourism are often low-paid and have many constraints due to working conditions. The low salaries discourage skilled workers, which means the tourism industry is not very attractive for the workforce. This is not problematic in countries with high unemployment but may cause problems in other destinations. In France, wages in the tourism sector vary according to the category of the profession: "Administrative and commercial agents, transport and tourism" receive an average salary of €1,630 per month, while the average monthly salary for the "Hotel and restaurant employees and supervisors" category is only €1,200. The monthly average wage nationwide is €2,182. France is the country with the greatest wage gap between tourism characteristic activities and other national activities. In Spain, the average salary costs per month are €1,677. The average in the service sector is €1,639, with substantial differences between the different tourist activities, air transport being the highest paid (€2,878) and the hotel sector the lowest (€1,091 per month). In Greece, the average monthly salary is €1,829. However in this country, salary details were found for the tourism activity "Hotels and Restaurants", which pays an average monthly salary of €1,314 (less than the national average) and for activities related to transport and travel agencies,

with an average salary of €1,983 per month. In Italy, the average monthly salary is €1,747. In the tourism sector, there are differences between different professions. "Receptionists" earn €1,385 per month, "waiters and housekeeping staff" earn €1,234, "ground attendants" €1,691 and flight attendants, €2,221. In Slovenia, the "Hotels and Restaurants" tourism category was identified in 2007 as paying an average monthly salary of €937, which was very low compared to the national average of €1,285. The only country where the average salary in tourism is in line with the national average wage is Israel, where jobs in the tourism sector (retail, hotels and restaurants) pay just as highly as other jobs. In the rest of the countries studied, the "tourism" sector remains poorly paid compared to the average national wage.

Definition This indicator measures the average salary in the tourism sector compared to the average salary. It measures wealth creation for the population as a whole through the development of tourism. It also indicates whether jobs in tourism are well paid.

Precautions/Notes Employment in tourism is monitored through "tourism characteristic activities". These are activities whose principal output is products which, in most countries, would cease to exist in meaningful quantity in the absence of tourism. We found that almost no country aggregates figures for a "tourism characteristic activities" category in its statistics, thus making comparison between countries extremely difficult. Sources/References: UNWTO, National Statistics Institutes

Average salary national and in the tourism sector (2006/2007)

Average salary in the tourism / average salary (2006/2007)

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from national sources

Tourism


Work

ing do

cumen

t


Measuring visitor numbers to cultural sites in the Mediterranean 9. Changes in the number of visitors to cultural sites

The development of sustainable tourism will involve promoting the region's heritage, cultural and environmental assets. The Mediterranean coast has the highest concentration of monuments and historic sites in the world, the rich heritage of thousands of years of successive civilisations. Their sustainability is threatened by large visitor numbers, among other causes. The aim of the Programme for the Protection of Coastal Historic Sites, part of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), is to help protect the 100 historic sites identified on the basis of adopted selection criteria. Of the 911 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 214 (including cultural, natural and mixed sites) are located in Mediterranean countries. With millions of visitors to World Heritage sites, tourism has become one of their most important functions and management is crucial to their preservation. According to UNESCO, OECD and the UNWTO, cultural and heritage travel is one of the fastest growing segments of international tourism, accounting for 40% of all international tourism in 2007, compared to 37% in 1995. The World Heritage Tourism Programme was created to promote sustainable development of tourism at these sites, to meet the growing needs of tourism management by using it as a means of preserving the value of sites and reducing threats. UNESCO's World Heritage Centre estimates that the average number of annual visitors to World Heritage sites is 1,470,020 for France and Monaco, 1,089,224 for Spain, Italy, Greece, Israel, Malta, Turkey and Cyprus and 366,685 for Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia.

France has 2,200 sites (both cultural and non cultural) and events, which in 2006 welcomed more than 170 million visitors. "Atout France", the French government's tourism promotion body, classifies cultural sites into eight categories: A, archaeological sites and museums; E, ecomuseums and museums of popular art and traditions; Mil, military sites and memorial sites; N, natural history museums; R, religious heritage; Th, thematic museums. Two categories account for more than half of all visitors: C, castles and impressive architecture, 300 sites, 31 million visits in 2006 (nearly a third of the total); and M, fine-arts museums (200 sites, 25 million visits in 2006, up 35% in 10 years). In terms of regional distribution, there were nearly 50 million visits to the 108 cultural sites in the Ile de France (Paris) region in 2006 (almost 50% of national cultural visits). There were 7 million visits to the 153 cultural sites in the PACA region (7% of the national total in 2006). 25 sites received over 100,000 visitors and the average number of visitors to PACA sites for 2006 was 56,835. Definition This indicator measures changes in the number of visitors to cultural sites. Cultural sites are, according to UNESCO, "works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view". Sources/References UNESCO, Atout France, 100 HS, MAP

100 coastal historic sites

Breakdown of visits to cultural sites in France in 1996 and 2006 (percentage)

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from Atout France

Tourism


Work

ing do

cumen

t


Does tourism play a big role in job creation? 10. Employment in the tourism sector compared with total employment

Increasing the added value of the tourist economy for local communities is one of the major orientations of the MSSD for the tourism sector. The outlook for growth in the number of jobs in tourism is promising. Tourism should remain an important source of job creation over the coming decades. In 2007, tourism accounted for 2% to 12% of GDP and 3% to 11% of employment, depending on the country. According to World Travel and Tourism Council data, employment in tourism in each of the Mediterranean countries refers to jobs in "tourism characteristic activities", such as hotels/restaurants, and jobs generated by the travel industry, which represent a substantial share of tourism employment. In 2008, tourism was a major job creator in Malta and Cyprus, accounting for 26% and 23% of jobs respectively. The same is true for Croatia, which has nearly 340,000 jobs in tourism, representing 21% of total employment. A large proportion of these (around 30%) are hotel or restaurant-based activities. Despite having a large number of jobs in the tourism sector, Cyprus has seen a 22% drop since 2000, falling from 113,000 to 88,000 jobs in tourism in 2008. In France, nearly 3 million jobs are counted as part of the tourism sector. However, only 786,000 of these 3 million jobs are in "tourism characteristic activities". The share of jobs in the "travel" sector is substantial, which should be borne in mind when the figures show that 12% of total employment is represented by tourism jobs in France. With 29%, the hotel/restaurant

sector also remains dominant in France. Nearly 46% of tourism jobs in Italy are in hotels and restaurants. There are 2.6 million jobs in tourism in Italy, representing 11% of total employment. In both Spain and Greece, the figure is 18% of total employment. With 1.3 million jobs, tourism in Turkey comprises only 6% of total employment (21 million jobs). Employment in the tourism sector is highly concentrated in the hotel and restaurant industries, accounting for 73% of jobs in tourism. Substantial changes have taken place in Morocco. Between 1995 and 2008, the number of jobs in tourism more than doubled, rising from 607,900 to nearly 1.5 million jobs, or 14% of total employment. Definition This indicator measures the share of employment in the tourism sector as a proportion of total employment. According to the UNWTO, employment in tourism is tracked through the monitoring of so-called "tourism characteristic activities". Tourist jobs are counted as activities whose principal output is products which, in most countries, would cease to exist in meaningful quantity in the absence of tourism. Precautions/Notes It is difficult to estimate the number of tourism jobs in the Mediterranean because of the cross-sector nature of the industry and the large proportion of informal activity, particularly with regard to accommodation. It is also unclear whether or not seasonal employment is included in the WTTC definition of tourism jobs. Sources/References: WTTC, ILO, UNSD, OECD

Share of employment in the tourism sector, 2009 (%)

Note: tourism also includes tourist transport

Source: WTTC, ILO

Jobs in the tourism sector and in the hotels-restaurants 2008

source: WTTC, ILO

Updated on 01/07/10

Tourism

Indicator TOU_C10

Work

ing do

cumen

t


How important is the role of ‎seasonal jobs in tourism employment?

11. Seasonal tourism employment/employment in the tourism sector

The highly seasonal nature of employment in tourism leads to job insecurity and a lack of stability. A high proportion of insecure employment and the working conditions mean that jobs in tourism are relatively unattractive for the workforce, which is not problematic for businesses in countries with high unemployment, but could cause problems in other destinations. In Spain, nearly 2.5 million workers were recorded in the tourism sector for the fourth quarter of 2009. Seasonal employment accounted for 29.4% of tourism jobs over the same quarter. In Spain, as in France, seasonal jobs tend most often to be offered in the 3rd quarter of the year. Indeed, in 2008 and 2009, the rate of seasonality reached 35% and 34.1% respectively, for the months of July, August and September. Spain has seen a drop in its seasonality rate. Indeed, a decrease in seasonal workers has been recorded during each quarter from one year to the next. If, for example, the second quarter is reviewed for the period 2007 to 2008, there is a 6.4% year-on-year reduction in the seasonality rate. These seasonal jobs are more often held by young women. In the fourth quarter of 2008, women held a 42.6% share compared to only 28.6% for men. In terms of industry sectors, hotels and restaurants are those with the highest proportion of temporary contracts. The transport sector is the least affected by seasonality.

In the PACA region in France, seasonal jobs represent a high proportion of employment. Of 82,000 jobs in the tourism sector, 23,600 (30%) were seasonal jobs in 2001. The share of seasonal workers varies greatly by sector. Thus, the rate of seasonal jobs is higher in ski lifts, in campsites, and in commercial accommodation other than hotels and campsites. In the Languedoc Roussillon region, one third of jobs in tourism are seasonal. Hotels, cafes and restaurants are the main employers, mainly in the coastal area. Seasonal employment peaked on 25 July at 105,800, with a low of 70,500 on 1 January. Half of the 18,450 establishments in the tourism sector hired seasonal workers in 2001. Of that half, one third of establishments no longer employed any employees on 31 December. Definition This indicator measures the share of seasonal jobs in tourism as a percentage of total employment in the tourism sector. This makes it possible to determine the degree of seasonality of tourism in a given destination or country, taking into account the degree of seasonality in job creation. Sources/References: INSEE PACA, INSEE Languedoc Roussillon, Instituto de Estudios Turísticos

Rate of seasonality in the tourism sector in Spain

Source: IET

Languedoc Roussillon: distribution of seasonal jobs across the territory, 2001

Tourism

Updated on 01/07/10 Indicator TOU_C11

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Is Mediterranean tourism dependent on tour operators? 12. Share of international tourists arriving via tour operators

One of the actions of the MSSD is to encourage coordination between countries and the main regional operators in order to harmonise regulatory mechanisms and develop synergies. Tour operators and travel agencies are the organisations that are closest to the demand for tourism products. Current developments in tourism have increased their influence, especially in negotiations with destinations. The major international tour operators thus play a key role in the development of a destination. Tour operators sometimes operate aggressive marketing policies in order to be granted exclusive access to certain sought-after destinations or to negotiate discounts. A sudden decision by tour operators to pull out of a destination may lead to its decline. Since package tours are put together by tour operators, the number of tourists that travel as part of package deals can provide information about the number of tourists who organise their trips through tour operators. In Europe, almost 190 million tourist packages were sold in 2007. There are somewhere in the region of 80,000 European tour operators and travel agencies. The two European countries with the most tour operators and travel agencies are Germany and Italy, with over 11,000 companies in 2008, followed by the UK. From 2007 to 2009, international tourist arrivals dropped in Spain and Malta. Indeed, there was a 11% decrease in Spain, from 58 million arrivals in 2007 to 52 million in 2009.

While Malta has fewer tourist arrivals than Spain (just over 1 million in 2007 and 2009), the share of international tourists travelling on package tours is much larger, with nearly 55%, more than half of all tourists, arriving at the destination on a package holiday in 2007. Despite a 22% drop in packages to Malta between 2007 and 2009, sales of travel to this destination remain largely organised by package tours. Malta could see a sharp decrease in the number of tourists if it was not marketed via package tours. There has also been a decrease in the number of package holidays to Spain. Indeed, from 2006 to 2009, the number of tourists arriving on package holidays fell from 34% to 30%. Spain is less dependent than Malta on tour operators, although some destinations such as the Balearic and Canary Islands are heavily marketed by tour operators. According to the 2010 European Commission "Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism", the three leading European countries for sales of package tours are the UK, followed by Malta and Ireland. Definition This indicator can be used to determine the influence of tour operators in the development of tourism in a destination or country. Sources/References: Instituto de Estudios Turísticos (IET), National Statistics Office Malta (NSO)

Percentage of international tourist arrivals organised as package tours in Spain and Malta (2007-2008-2009)

Source: Instituto de Estudios Turísticos (IET), National Statistics Office Malta (NSO), Plan Bleu

International tourist arrivals in Spain, organised with or without a tourist package

(2006-2009)

Source: Instituto de Estudios Turísticos (IET)

Indicator TOU_C12 Updated on 19/08/10

Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


What is the influence of Foreign Direct Investment in the Mediterranean tourism sector?

13. Share of Foreign Direct Investment in the tourism sector

Promoting sustainable tourism offers to increase the added value of tourism for local communities is one of the objectives of the MSSD, with a view to contributing to the sustainable development of destinations. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tourism and restaurant sector for 12 MED countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestinian territories, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta) accelerated once again in 2006, reaching a total of €8,457 billion. The share of FDI in the tourism and restaurant industry was 13% that year. The countries with the highest levels of FDI in tourism projects are Lebanon (55%) and Morocco (46%) with 33 projects. Egypt has 14 tourism projects, with FDI in tourism representing only about 10% of all FDI in the country. In terms of the actual amount invested in 2006 in the tourism sector, Egypt is at the top of the list (€2,174 million) followed by Morocco (€2,099 million), with other countries relatively far behind (Turkey with €688 million, Syria €584 million, Tunisia €505 million, etc.). These investments are mainly from EU countries and the United Arab Emirates. In 2009, the MED-10 countries were affected by the financial crisis, with FDI down 17% on 2008 (819 projects in 2009 compared to 942 in 2008). The average value of investments was €62 million in 2009 (compared to €75m in 2008, €77m in 2007 and over €89m in 2006).

The most affected sectors are real estate, tourism and restaurants, and finance. FDI in the tourism and restaurant sector fell from €13,134 million gross in 2006 to €1,754, €3,095 and €2,401 million in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. There was a 39% decrease in the number of tourism projects (only 19 in 2009 compared to an average of over 40 per year for the period 2004-2008). According to the ANIMA Investment Network, this decrease is due to the number of projects in progress, with further capacity added to the regional market every year.

Definition This indicator measures the share of foreign direct investment in the tourism sector. This indicator gives an idea of the dependence of a destination on foreign capital, and the risk of standardisation of its product in the context of globalisation, which is not beneficial to local tourism.

Notes It was not possible to calculate the share of FDI for the tourism sector alone, since it is not differentiated from the restaurant industry in the ANIMA study.

Sources/References Plan Bleu, UNWTO, ANIMA: www.animaweb.org

Share of FDI in the tourism sector and restaurants in 2006 (%)

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from ANIMA

Changes in FDI and in the number of projects in the tourism and restaurant sector

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from ANIMA


Tourism

http://www.animaweb.org/�

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Does tourism help to strengthen health systems in Mediterranean tourist destinations?

16. Number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in tourist destinations compared with the national average

In order to develop sustainable tourism, the tourism sector needs to contribute to the sustainable development of destinations, for instance by strengthening health systems. The density of physicians is frequently used as an indicator for assessing health care delivery. An adequate number of practicing, qualified physicians, distributed according to need, ensures safe, high-quality medical services. In the Mediterranean, France is the country with the largest number of doctors for the period 2000-2009 (227,683), followed by Italy (215,000) and Spain (163,800). On the number of doctors per 10,000 of the population for the same period, four countries stand out: Greece (54), followed by Spain (38), and France and Italy (37). The Mediterranean countries with fewer than 15 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants are: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tunisia, Turkey and Morocco (with only six doctors per 10,000 inhabitants). Calculating the indicator in three Mediterranean tourist areas highlights very different situations: in Catalonia, Spain's most popular destination for international tourism in 2009 (12.8 million tourists), the density of physicians (37) is almost equal to the national average density (38). The density of physicians in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, the leading tourist region for domestic tourism in France and the second for international tourism, is much higher

than the national average (61 vs. 37) due in part to the attractiveness of the region. However, according to the French national council of the order of physicians, a regional analysis of the population data shows significant disparities, ranging from 27,4 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (inland area), to 40,5 in the Alpes-Maritimes (coastal and inland). In contrast, healthcare density in the tourist coastal area of Tipaza, in Algeria, with 4 doctors per 10,000 of the population, is well below the national average (11). Definition The density of physicians measures the number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in tourist destinations compared to the national average. An additional indicator could be hospital density (i.e. the number of hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants) in tourist destinations compared to the national average. Notes This indicator could be used to determine whether the development of tourism in an area contributes to improving the standard of living of the local community and to local development. Sources/References Plan Bleu, WHO, Conseil National de l’ordre de Médecins, Institut Català de la Salut, IET, Observatoire du tourisme PACA

Number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in 2000-2009

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from WHO

Number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in 2000-2009

Source: Plan Bleu adapted from WHO, PB, Conseil national de l’ordre de médecins, Institut Català de la Salut


Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Is the education level of employees in the Mediterranean tourism sector sufficient?

17. Number of employees in the tourism sector according to education level

Improving cooperation mechanisms between tourism authorities and strengthening the ability of local authorities to manage the development of tourism and promote sustainable tourism is one of the orientations of the MSSD. Training is a key issue for the future of Mediterranean tourism as it is traditionally a sector in which workers are unskilled. After a period of relatively unplanned development, tourism is now seeing a drive towards greater professionalisation. Competition between destinations and increasingly high customer requirements have brought the issue of quality into the spotlight, and staff training is an essential component in this area. In Matrouh Governorate, home to the tourist destinations of Marsa Matrouh, El Alamein and Siwa Oasis, 19% (5000 of 26,000) of employees in the tourism sector have no formal education and 23%, 36% and 20% of employees have completed primary, secondary and higher education, respectively. In Torremolinos, a tourist destination in the south of Spain, all employees (2,385 in 2008) have some level of formal education. As in Matrouh, the highest percentage (54%) had completed secondary education, 33% primary education and 12% higher education. Only 24 employees in Torremolinos had masters or doctoral degrees in 2008.

In Matrouh Governorate, while 19% of employees have no formal education, the percentage of employees with higher education qualifications (20%) is higher than in Torremolinos (12%).

Definition This indicator measures the number of employees in the tourism sector according to their education level.

Precautions/Notes

Given the difficulty with defining employment in tourism, comparisons should be made with caution, as each country or destination may include different jobs in its definition of the tourism industry. This occurs because not all countries apply the UNWTO definition of "tourism characteristic activities". This indicator measures the quality of tourism by employees' level of education, but is still somewhat incomplete, since there is a need to focus on staff trained specifically in tourism, as this will determine the quality of tourist service. Sources/References: Plan Bleu, "Profile of sustainability of tourist destinations" study

Source: Plan Bleu, "Profile of sustainability of tourist destinations"

Indicator TOU_C17 Updated on 27.01.11

Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Tourism and disability: accessibility standards for tourist accommodation

18. Share of tourist accommodation facilities meeting accessibility standards

Encouraging countries to promote renovation and restoration programmes in destinations where hotel facilities and tourism infrastructure are becoming obsolete, and where historical sites are poorly maintained, is one of the actions of the MSSD. People with disabilities are a prospective clientele for the entire tourism industry. The potential market is estimated at around 36 million people for the whole of Europe. This demographic group has a very low rate of holidays, essentially due to the limited number of suitable structures and the lack of reliable information about the accessible tourism offer. In 2007 there were somewhere between 1.8 and over 5 million people with disabilities living in France. Disabilities can be divided into four main categories. Visual impairment: 3% of the French population are visually impaired (207,000 French people are severely visually impaired). Hearing impairment: 9% suffer from hearing loss (303,000 people are severely affected). Mobility impairment: 2 out of every 1000 minors have reduced mobility, and the majority of people with reduced mobility are over the age of 60. Finally, learning disabilities: 1.5% have learning disabilities. In France, "Tourisme et Handicaps" accreditation is awarded to sites, activities and accommodation that are accessible to people with disabilities. The results presented in the present analysis relate to accessibility standards for "Tourisme et Handicap" certified tourist accommodation facilities.

Accommodation may be accessible to people with several types of disabilities and will, in this case, be counted in the total number of accommodation facilities accessible to each category of disability. According to the list of tourist accommodation facilities that have been awarded this label, the number of facilities accessible to people with learning disabilities is the highest. Out of the total of 230,500 tourist accommodation facilities in France, according to the INSEE, 2,239 certified "Tourisme et Handicaps" facilities meet accessibility standards for people with learning disabilities. This represents 1% of all French tourist accommodation. In terms of accommodation types, holiday gîtes and rental homes are most likely to be accessible to people with disabilities. 1,926 tourist accommodation facilities meet accessibility standards for people with reduced mobility, or 0.8% of the total. Accommodation that is accessible to people with visual impairments is the least widespread, with only 683, or 0.3% of all accommodation facilities. There are 1,412 accommodation facilities for people with hearing impairment, or 0.6% of the total. Finally, 430 certified "Tourisme et Handicaps" tourist accommodation facilities meet accessibility standards for all four types of disability. Definition This indicator measures the share of tourist accommodation that meets accessibility standards for different types of disabilities in relation to the total number of tourism companies. Sources/References: Atout France, Tourisme et Handicaps, INSEE

Number of certified "Tourisme et Handicaps" tourist accommodation facilities in France, accessible by type of disability, 2009

Source: Plan Bleu, Atout France, Tourisme et Handicaps

Certified "Tourisme et Handicaps" tourist accommodation facilities in France,

accessible to people with learning disabilities (%), 2009

Source: Plan Bleu, Atout France, Tourisme et Handicaps


Tourism

Mobility Visual Hearing Learning Four

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Holiday departure rates differ depending on the socio-professional category of tourists

19. Departure rates according to socio-professional category

Ensuring the right to holidays for all groups including young people, families, pensioners, people with disabilities and people with low disposal income, should be an aim for governments. The development of activities and initiatives that are open to all contributes to increasing social cohesion. It is also a practical and effective way of combating seasonality in the tourism sector.

In France, 65% of people went on holiday in 2004, with "executives and the intellectual professions" having the highest departure rate (90%). The "intermediate professions" rank second (departure rate 78%). "Children, pupils and students" are the third placed category, with a holiday departure rate of 73%. In contrast, "workers" and "farmers" have the lowest holiday departure rate (48% and 38% respectively), and they remain the socio-professional categories that go on holiday the least. In Spain, the departure rate depends on employment status, professional status and contract type. Regarding the former, the departure rate among the active population is 62.3%, with a 63.7% rate for employed people and 47% for unemployed people.

The non-active population, with a departure rate of 50.4%, go on holiday less than the active population as a whole, but more than the unemployed. Looking at the figures for professional status, those who travel the most are employers, with a departure rate of 80.3%. Next come employees, with 69.1% going on holiday. In contrast, only 57.7% of self-employed people go on holiday. Finally, if the data is analysed by contract type, workers with permanent contracts and part-time contracts have a 72.2% departure rate. Only 57.7% of those with temporary contracts go on holiday. Surprisingly, people receiving state benefits have a higher departure rate (63.4%).

Definition This indicator shows the distribution of tourists according to their socio-professional category.

Precautions/Notes This indicator can be used to measure the difference between socio-professional categories, which could lead to measures being implemented to reduce these differences. This indicator can be useful for adjusting the tourist offer

Sources/References: UNWTO and PLAN BLEU

Source INSEE

Source IET

Tourism


Work

ing do

cumen

t


Is the diversifying of tourism underway? 13. Share of “non-seaside resort beds” vs. total number of beds

Sustainable tourism development implies diversifying the tourist offer, highlighting Mediterranean diversity (eco-tourism, urban and rural cultural tourism). Diversifying can be measured in the regions or countries by the evolution in the « non- seaside » offer that could divert 1/3 of the tourist flow to the littoral, according to MSSD objectives. For the moment a global analysis of this trend to non-seaside tourism is difficult due to a lack of data. In Italy, the non-seaside offer (outside of coastal towns) represented about 42% of tourist beds in 2004. In Israel it was about 77% in 2004 and was 3.8% in Malta in 2005. In Slovenia 57 000 tourist beds out of the 79 000 tourist beds, all categories included, were for non-seaside tourism in 2005. This share went up from 70 to 73% between 1995 and 2005. In France, the 3 coastal « departments » of the region Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur accounts for 74 % of the tourist beds. On the Côte d’Azur, including Monaco, the hinterland only has 14% of the hotels and 9 % of the rooms. This proportion is different according to the categories: there are up to 23 % 1* hotels and 9 % 4* hotels, respectively 9 and 4 % of the rooms. According to the Côte D'azur Tourism Observatory, hotel capacity evolved differently from one region to another between 1994 and 2006. The coast is demonstrating a significant decrease in its offer: Mandelieu (-31%), the west coast (-23%), the east coast (-17%) and Antibes-Juan (-12%).

Definition This indicator measures the proportion of « non-seaside » beds compared to the total number of beds in all of the types of tourist accommodation in the commercial sector (with services) in the coastal regions. Seaside tourism is defined here as tourism in the coastal towns or districts.

Precautions / Notes This indicator can be completed by the distribution of the beds, rooms and hotels according to their situation in relation to the coast: coastal town, coastal area, to be defined according to the countries and according to the data availability. The distribution of the offer does not necessarily correspond to the tourist attendance. It should be completed with overnight stays, and attendance rates (with a homogeneous definition).

Sources / References There is no international database but data is available in the national statistics institutes and services as well as in regional ones of the « tourism observatory » type. Italy : ISTAT. Israel : CBS Malta : NSO Slovenia : SORS Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (France) : Côte d'azur tourism observatory, the regional tourism committee for the Riviéra-Côte-d'azur.

Distribution of the tourism beds in Slovenia (Thousands)

Source : Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia

Distribution of hotels and rooms per category on the Côte d’Azur (France) (2006)

Hotels

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

4* 3* 2* 1* TOTAL

Non Seaside

Seaside

Rooms

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

4* 3* 2* 1* TOTAL

Non Seaside

Seaside

Source : Observatoire du Tourisme de La Côte D'azur, Comité Régional du Tourisme Riviéra-Côte-D'azur

Indicator TOU_P01 Updated on 02/05/2007

Tourism

Work

ing do

cumen

t


Is (international) tourism sufficiently profitable? 14. International tourism receipts

International tourism is an important sector of economic development in the Mediterranean region, classified as the 1st tourist region worldwide. By its currency contribution and by the induced cultural exchanges, it will be a factor contributing to sustainable development if the impact on the environment is reduced and the wealth that it brings shared out. Between 1995 and 2008 most of the Mediterranean countries experienced an overall increase in international tourism receipts; followed by a decline in 2009, but compared to GDP the situations are varied. In the EU Mediterranean countries (ES, FR, IT and GR), this rise has continued but has stagnated compared to GDP. The island states (CY and MT), very much dependent on tourism, with receipts equal respectively to 22 % and 23 % of GDP in 1995, have had a significant drop in receipts (stabilising around 10 % and 13 % in 2009). The Balkan countries have had a great increase in receipts and their situation now is comparable with the one in the 1970s. In Croatia receipts reached 15% of GDP in 2009. Receipts from international tourism represent about 6 % of the total value of worldwide exports of goods and services. In the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries, this share is much higher: between 17 and 31 % in most of the countries, over 40 % in Croatia, Albania, Montenegro and Lebanon. The range of receipts per inhabitant is very wide. Receipts can be over 1000 dollars, reaching 2400 dollars in Malta and more than 2800 dollars in Cyprus.

Inversely, they are insignificant in Algeria and very low in Egypt, Syria, Libya (around 100 dollars).

Definition Receipts from international tourism refer to the expenditure in the host country (or consumption) by tourists and by non-resident visitors as defined in the tourism satellite accounts in conformity with the UN Statistics Commission. In the host countries, the international tourism receipts are assimilated as exports and include transactions carried out by tourists as well as by visitors who come for more than one day. However, they do not include the receipts produced by international services and transport purchased outside the country of residence of these travellers.

Precautions / Notes Low receipts as a percentage of GDP could indicate strong potential for the development of international tourism. Inversely, a high value is an indicator of mono-activity, often very sensitive to the international situation. A rise in international tourism receipts does not presume the effective spin-off for the host countries and the local populations. The spin-off should be studied case by case concerning the impact of tourism, on the situation of the local population, such as the creation of new jobs and an increase in income.

Sources / references UN-WTO (World Tourism Organisation) and World Bank (World Development Indicators)

International tourism receipts, 1995-2006 (% of GDP)

Source : WTO, WDI

International tourism receipts / Exports of goods and services, 2009 (%)

International tourism receipts per capita, 2009 (US $)

Source : WTO, WDI

Tourism

Indicator TOU_P02 Updated on 23/05/2011

Documents

Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable … › sites › default › files › upload › files › ...Tourism in the Mediterranean: Moving towards more sustainable modes of transport?