Page 3 - Small_islands_2019

Island Studies Journal, 14(2), November 2019, pages 115-136

Despite growing academic interest in tourism on small islands (Weaver, 2017) and
ecotourism (Weaver & Lawton, 2007), scholars have paid little attention to ecotourism in the
Mediterranean region and its islands. Central Mediterranean islands in particular have been
almost completely overlooked. In a rare study on ecotourism in the region, Diamantis (2000)
claims that sustainable and ecotourism practices on Mediterranean islands are still in their infancy
stage and that this is related to limited demand. Little has been published on the matter since
then, especially in terms of the ecotourism potential of such islands and whether limited
ecotourism venues can be a reason for the limited ecotourism development.
This paper thus aims to study the potential of ecotourism central Mediterranean small
islands, with special focus placed on the venues in which ecotourism can take place. The study
seeks to identify whether island size and the respective size of ecotourism venues as well as
population density and the resulting anthropogenic activities have any influence on the ecotourism
potential of central Mediterranean islands. The paper furthermore aims to study the impact of
the quality of ecotourism venues on the ecotourist’s satisfaction and to identify the ideal ecotourism
activity to be practised on these islands, bearing in mind the targeting of the ideal ecotourists.
The research aims will be achieved by employing a case study research design, encompassing
various methods, including observation, focus groups, interviews, and surveys to target different
stakeholders who would otherwise be impossible to target through a single method.

Literature review

The ecotourism venue plays an important role in the success of the ecotourism experience
(Newsome, 2013). Most ecotourism activity takes place in natural environments (Buckley,
2002), such as public protected areas (Weaver & Lawton, 2007), which are becoming
increasingly important sites for ecotourism worldwide (Mkiramweni et al, 2016; Buckley, 2009).
These tend to have important ecotourism-related characteristics, including outstanding natural
attractions (Weaver, 2006), which play a vital role in the ecotourism experience (Chan & Baum,
2007). In the case of central Mediterranean islands, natural attractions include various coastal
environments and habitats, such as coastal caves, terrestrial geological formations and volcanic
phenomena, charismatic marine megafauna, small terrestrial species including non-mammals
(especially endemic ones), charismatic megaflora and plants, and scenic landscapes (Agius,
Theuma, & Deidun, 2018).
Natura 2000 sites, an EU-wide network of nature protection areas (European
Commission, 2014), are among the most popular protected areas for ecotourism. Several Natura
2000 sites across Europe have been earmarked as places in which tourism activities can take
place in a managed way (Weaver, 2008). Furthermore, various stakeholders—including the
general public (Dimitrakopoulos et al, 2010) and academics—have identified Natura 2000 sites
as ideal ecotourism destinations with great potential for hosting ecotourism activities (Cruz et
al, 2011; Dimopoulos et al, 2006).
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have also been identified as ideal sites for marine
ecotourism (Agardy, 1993; Gerovassileiou et al, 2009). Most such MPAs in the Mediterranean
are located around or adjacent to islands (Francour et al, 2001). It is thus no surprise that islands per
se have been widely regarded as ideal venues for marine ecotourism (Halpenny, 2001; Sakellariadou,
2014), with small islands being regarded as particularly suitable (Bevan & Conolly, 2013).

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