Governance Capacity and Stakeholder Interactions in the Development and Management of Coastal Tourism: Examples from Morocco and Tunisia

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Abstract
This paper draws on the results of an EU research project into the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems in the southern Mediterranean. The paper focuses on the implications of the governance systems in Morocco and Tunisia for the effective management of coastal tourism. It asks the question, to what extent can coastal tourism be developed and managed in a sustainable and integrated way in countries with centralised governance systems and a deficit of local democracy? The work develops a theoretical framework drawing on literature in the field of sustainable tourism management and integrated coastal management (ICM), plus Kooiman's sociopolitical theory of governance. One of the key elements of ICM has been the importance of involving local communities in the management of coastal resources. The paper builds on the questions posed by Sorensen who queried how ICM would apply in non-democratic states. The research contrasts two sites in Morocco and Tunisia and identifies key stakeholder groups and the key issues which need to be addressed through management plans and governance frameworks. The paper draws conclusions which will have wider implications for the sustainable development of coastal tourism, relating to governance systems, power relationships, democratic processes and local participation.

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