MANAGING TOURISM FLOWS ON MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Shifting to evidence based heritage governance and management
Engelbert Ruoss & Andela Sormaz
October 2020

The Biosphere Reserve Framework as well as the World Heritage Convention offer excellent opportunities to establish holistic GMS, balancing conservation and sustainable development. The two archipelagos Tuscan Island Biosphere Reserve as well as the Aeolian Islands World Heritage site have been studied by analysis of the social media platforms Instagram, TripAdvisor and Airbnb. The social media analysis conducted, reflects the attractiveness of natural and cultural heritage, the accessibility of the heritage, the visitor erception, the quantity and quality of hospitality businesses and services, visitors distribution and flows in the area, as well as the effectiveness of the governance and management systems, especially with regard to the conservation and protection of cultural and natural assets. A visitor management is realized only in the strictly protected areas, in buffer and transition zones little tourism regulations can be recognized. The tourism development is partly out of control and the use of limited natural resources as well as negative impacts to the natural and cultural heritage are increasing. At present, the management plans of the two archipelagos submitted to the authorities have not yet been approved nor implemented since they must adhere to the endless procedures and bureaucracies required.