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Karl Agius et al.

In the case of archipelagos, ecotourism has been encouraged in outer peripheral islands,
which are often naturally richer (Halpenny, 2001) and less dominated by mass tourism (Weaver,
2008). This reflects the trend whereby less-developed peripheral areas and islands are seen as
better suited to tourism, in what is known as the ‘‘pleasure periphery’’ (Chaperon, 2009; Crick,
1989; Scott, 2000; Turner & Ash, 1975).
A major attraction of islands as ecotourism destinations is their remoteness and insularity,
which generally facilitate not only the conservation of traditions but also pristine ecosystems
(Hall & Page, 2006), considered to be the core element of ecotourism (Weaver, 2008; Zeppel,
2006). Furthermore, remoteness can make an island more attractive and exotic, especially in the
case of small islands (Gössling, 2003; Scheyvens & Momsen, 2008). The physical separation of
islands from the mainland also gives rise to a number of special insular aspects that influence
ecotourism development. One such factor is the presence of distinguished ecosystems due to
endemism. In the ecotourism context, this means that an ecotourist will have to visit that
particular place in order to see that particular species.
Although little attention has been given to this in literature, ecotourism venues are
influenced by the size of the sites themselves. On some Mediterranean islands, the natural
environment is becoming increasingly restricted to small pockets of land due to considerable
land use pressures resulting from a growing human population, which has intensified human
activity and urban footprints (Cassar et al, 2008). In fact, Weaver (2001) highlights that the
western European ecotourism sector is characterised by densely populated areas, which have
been extensively modified by human activity, with the result that ecotourism activities tend to
take place in relatively small natural areas.
Ecotourists themselves have been regarded as consciously seeking out different and new
experiences. For example, some ecotourists, known as ‘hard ecotourists’, seek deep interaction
with nature and have a strong environmental commitment, whereas the so-called ‘soft
ecotourists’ seek shallow interaction with nature and have a superficial environmental
commitment (Weaver, 2008). In this regard, the impact of the ecotourism venue on the
ecotourism experience deserves to be studied.

Study area

The study area consists of nine islands (three archipelagos and one unitary island), all situated in
the central Mediterranean region. These are the Pelagic Islands (comprising Lampedusa and
Linosa), the Aegadian Islands (comprising Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo), the Maltese
archipelago (comprising Malta, Gozo, and Comino), and the island of Pantelleria. Tourism is a
major economic activity on all of these islands.

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