Page 8 - Small_islands_2019

Karl Agius et al.

the Pelagic Islands (36%). The fact that the ecotour was predominantly nature based was a major
motivation for participants to participate in the ecotours, especially for those on the Maltese
islands. This was reconfirmed during focus group meetings, with emphasis being placed on the
desire to immerse oneself in nature. Immersion in nature was also among the most popular
expectation for respondents participating in the four ecotours. This was especially the case in
the Maltese archipelago, with 70% of respondents reporting such an expectation.

Habitat fragmentation and site selectivity
Following their participation in the ecotour, the majority of respondents (79%) claimed to have
spent most of their holiday in contact with nature. In contrast to the Aegadian Islands, the
Pelagic Islands, and Pantelleria, for which a high proportion of respondents said they had spent
most of their time during the ecotour in contact with nature, a significant proportion of
respondents who participated in the ecotour held in the Maltese archipelago (40%) said that they
had spent little time in contact with nature. Ecotourists participating in the ecotour held in the
Maltese archipelago reconfirmed these results during a focus group meeting. While
acknowledging that one finds several natural sites spread across the archipelago and that these
should not be undervalued, ecotourists emphasised the need for greater proximity to nature and
for avoiding built-up areas during these tours. They noted that one had to be selective in
choosing ecotourism venues owing to the anthropogenic impact and level of urbanisation
experienced by the islands, which is visible from several protected areas. According to
ecotourists, this meant that ecotourism venues in the Maltese archipelago, specifically Malta and
Gozo, varied from those visited in other regions and that one experienced a “different form of
wilderness.”
With respect to site selection, one should note that stakeholders from the islands of Malta
and Gozo particularly identified MPAs and sites on the periphery of the islands as ideal
ecotourism venues. Similar remarks were made by stakeholders from the Pelagic Islands. Once
again, though to a smaller extent, stakeholders from Lampedusa identified a number of sites
towards the north of the island, including coastal areas and valleys in coastal areas, as ideal
ecotourism venues.
However, it was argued that, owing to the limited size of such sites, ecotourists would
have to visit multiple sites during the course of an ecotour, introducing logistical issues such as
travel, and that this might be quite problematic, given that traffic congestion is a major issue in
Malta. This was confirmed from survey respondents, with traffic congestion and the need to use
a car to move from one site to another regarded as a major concern for 50% of respondents
participating in the Maltese islands ecotour. The need to move from one site to another was
also noted as a reason for dissatisfaction for ecotourists visiting Malta and Pantelleria. It was,
however, suggested that, owing to their proximity, a network of sites found along the coast and
ideal for marine ecotourism could be developed in Malta. This was supported by the argument
that Malta also has extensive marine areas surrounding the archipelago, which are protected and
could complement such sites.

Reactions to habitat fragmentation
Owing to the limited dimensions of most protected areas, the possible expansion of such sites
was raised during various interviews. Stakeholders explained that, in the case of the Maltese

122