Marine Protected Areas: A Winning Card For Sustainable Tourism

(narrator) The Mediterranean is one of
the largest global tourist destinations,

attracting about 300 million people
each year

with a forecast of 500 million by 2030.

This will have a huge impact
in decades to come.

Developing an increasing sustainable
tourism is of the utmost importance.

(Erica Harms) Tourism actually is
a good thing if it's done the proper way.

Compare it to mining,
compare it to overfishing.

It is a good industry and
there is a way to do it right,

but there is a way that it can happen
without the communities having any control

if they just stand on the sidelines.

(narrator) Marine protected areas
are a winning card

for sustainable tourism,

as they ensure a healthy
and productive sea,

and support local economies.

Just think about the value of
a grouper on a plate

compared to the much higher value
of a grouper alive in the wild

and its appeal for divers.

(Italian) (Augusto Navone) We have
to promote sustainable devlopment

bearing in mind that the starting point
must be the key conservation objectives.

I'm particularly referring
to underwater tourism

that takes adventage
of fish population increase

and on the so called "MPA effect".

In 2014 we reached about 20.000 dives

that brought more than 13.5 million Euros
to the local community.

(narrator) Ecotourism is today
a great opportunity for local operators

and therefore for local economies.

(Erica Harms) Many travelers
just want to have that opportunity

to be close to nature.

If you get them to come back,

that's the type of tourism
you want to have in the long run

because you have
the ability to develop the product

that those tourists want,

you'll have the ability to become
one of the entrepreneurs and the leaders,

versus having others come
and dictate where the market is going

(Italian) (Luca Tixi) My ideal tourist
is a curious tourist.

A keen interest, curiosity
and desire to discover

are the key elements

to get the best
from the activities that we organise.

I grew up in this marine area
and know it well.

If I had not had this knowledge,

if I had not explored
this place thoroughly

as I did with my dad as a child,

perhaps the result wouldn't be the same.

When we started this business,
there could have been no other choice

because when you know an area well,
you can explain it well.

(Italian) (Sillvia Barani) It's
a marine protected area,

it's a national park,

it's also know as "Park of the People",

and I think the charm of these places
will endure as long as they are part

of a community.

Those who live here,
those who choose to live here,

those who invest in and work here

have developed
a close attachment to the territory

and respect for the environment
is essential.

The certification process for the Park
has been followed very well.

It is, and will continue to be, a success.

It works because the marine protected area
is definitely an added value

for tourism structures,

and such structures are an added value
to the marine protected area.

(Marina Gomei) Marine protected areas
are one of the tools

to reach sustainable tourism,

and at WWF we work with the tourist sector

to ensure that they take care
of their own destinations

as a value to be protected
for a long-term investment.

(narrator) Furthermore,
the Mediterranean marine protected areas

provide cultural and educational services
that are of great importance,

as younger generations
are the tourists of tomorrow.

(French) (Jean-Louis Pieraggi) We have
a big role to plan

since we are one
of the most touristic areas of Corsica.

The Lavazzi islands
are highly frequented every year.

We have a lot of responsibilities
in confeying information

and allowing a change of behaviour

through activities
like the underwater trail.

And the visitors enjoy their time
through this secured activity.

This activity allows us
to deliver a message

about the importance of protecting nature.

- (interviewer) Do you like it?
- (child) Yes, I do.

(narrator) Investing
in marine protected areas

means shaping a new future
for the Mediterranean .

An investment that cannot wait.