Corsica
A gradual opening to tourism
The development of tourism in Corsica from the late 19th century to the early 20th century follows a relatively traditional pattern (Boyer, 2006; Violier et al., 2021). Although not a key stage on the “Grand Tour”, the destination mainly developed around a triangle formed by Ajaccio, Porto, and Vizzavona with stays by artists, mountaineers and thermal, health and winter tourism. The mainly foreign clientele (English, German, Swiss, and Austrian) helped forge an image of Corsica as a wild and mysterious land of authentic beauty. These attributes were used by the promotional professionals and structures that began to appear in the early 20th century, whose work helped to attract nearly 10,000 tourists in the 1920s.
The post-war period, combined with the rise of the consumer society, led to a significant increase in tourism flows, no doubt fuelled by the legend of the “Island of Beauty” and the search for a sunny coastline where the new leisure practices of bathing could be enjoyed. But, unlike other regions in France, successive development plans (Moretti, 2006) came up against an endemic lack of action and the refusal of a singular development model driven by identity-based violence (Martinetti, 2007). The example of the 1957 Regional Action Plan is emblematic of these difficulties in promoting industrial-scale tourism development. The Société d’Équipement Touristique de la Corse (SETCO), tasked with implementing this plan by building about one hundred 1 and 2-star hotels offering 3,000 rooms, led to a result which, according to Jean-Louis Moretti, bordered on failure (Moretti, 2010).
Despite a “natural” evolution (Furt and Maupertuis, 2006) albeit somewhat disorganised, the “necessary evil: of tourism was once again at the forefront of societal concerns. Its slow acceptance since the 2000s, along with organisational delays, may cause difficulties in its adaptation to current environmental and societal challenges.
A specialist economy
As the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, Corsica spans an area of 8,722 km² and lies 160 km from the French mainland and less than 90 km from Italy. Tourists can access the island by one of its five commercial ports or four international airports. The destination that is strongly specialised in tourism, as evidenced by at least two key indicators. Firstly, tourist consumption accounts for nearly 40% of the regional GDP (Insee Analyses Corse, 2022), compared to just over 12% in other French tourist regions. Secondly, tourism-related employment represents 13% of the total workforce (see Figure 1.1), whereas this figure averages just 4% in the rest of mainland France. A significant portion of this is concentrated in commercial accommodation, which accounts for 40% of tourism-related jobs (Insee Dossier Corse, 2015). However, this specialisation is precarious. As much in terms of the accommodation options, predominantly limited to campsites and other accommodation with a great seasonal impact, as the strong presence of furnished accommodation and gites, revealing a certain lack of professionalism and reinforcing the idea that tourism remains a secondary activity. This “artisanal” approach”, which is often not very profitable, can be seen as much at the level of professionals, who tend to be poorly organised, favour individual strategies (Furt et Ségui Llinas, 2022) and show resistance to more industrial approaches. These factors contribute to a low rate of hotel classification (Insee Flash Corse, 2019) and limited reservation processes, with travel agencies only accounting for 4% of bookings (ATC, 2022).
A destination to be built
Corsica attracts over two million tourists each year, with a record of 2.6 million visitors in 2017. The Corsica Tourism Agency (ATC) reported 3.4 million travellers in 2022. However, these figures hide a very different reality:
- Firstly, the lack of international visitors: traditionally representing about 30%, it dropped to 10% in 2021, despite the gradual opening up of the airspace to low-cost airlines (transport remains a significant share of the cost of the holiday). It represents an average of €503).

Figure 2 – Origin of the tourism clientele in Corsica the Covid crisis
(Source: Indicated on the map)
- A significant share of tourists in Corsica are affinity travellers who travel there to take advantage of their second homes or visit family and friends. The region has three times the national average of second residences, with 37% owned by local residents (Insee Analyses Corse, 2020). However, beyond this category of tourists whose loyalty is “acquired”, the share of first-time visitors made up 57% of arrivals in 2017, and just 17% in 2020. While Corsica’s tourists are loyal to the destination (ATC, 2022), this also suggests that Corsica struggles to update its “clientèle”.
- Average stays are 15 days (ATC, 2022), with a pronounced pattern of nomadic tourism (79% of visitors). This mobility is exacerbated by competition among various areas, which, while contributing to their specialisation and increasing the diversity of the offer, fails to support the pursuit of sustainable tourism due to a lack of public transport (Maupertuis and Casabianca, 2022).
- Furthermore, there is a specialisation in outdoor activities (see Figure 1.2), which frequently leads to uncontrolled exploitation of shared resources and overcrowding at certain hotspots, problems unlikely to be regulated by the announced regulatory measures (Muzy, 2022).- Visitor flows are also concentrated in space (two micro-regions account for nearly 60% of tourist flows), and time, increasing the sense of overcrowding largely as a result of the effects of 70% of visitors arriving between July and September (ATC, 2020).

Figure 3 – 60% of tourists in two areas
(source: authors according to ATC 2022)
Tourism at a crossroads
Tourism has become an essential part of the island’s society. The industry has reached a stage of maturity and now must answer serious questions regarding the regulation of tourism rather than its very existence. These will depend on actual decisions regarding access to certain areas (Giannoni et al.), but more broadly, on establishing genuine sustainability for the region and managing financial flows generated by the exploitation of resources.
Jean-Marie FURT and Sandrine NOBLET
Bibliography
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- Furt J-M., Maupertuis M-A. (2006) «Le tourisme en Corse: retour sur une évolution naturelle», dans Musée Régional d’Anthropologie de la Corse, La Corse et le tourisme, 1755-1960, catalogue de l’exposition présentée au musée régional d’anthropologie de la Corse du 13 juillet au 30 décembre 2006, Ajaccio, Albiana, Musée de la Corse, p. 329-339.
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Sitography
- https://www.atc.corsica/fr/observatoire/etudes/ Cahier du tourisme n°2, 2020.
- https://www.atc.corsica/fr/observatoire/etudes/ Cahier du tourisme n° 11, 2022.
- https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1894595. Le poids du tourisme dans l’économie corse, n° 2, octobre 2015.
- https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/3733192.Insee Flash Corse. Les AHCT représentent un tiers de l’offre touristique marchande de Corse, n° 40, février 2019.
- https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4869311. Insee Analyses Corse. Résidences secondaires: un logement sur trois en Corse, avec des profils variés selon les intercommunalités, n° 29, octobre 2020.
- https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/6439057. Insee Analyses Corse. Emplois liés à la présence de touristes en Corse: 43 % de croissance entre 2009 et 2018, n° 40, mai 2022.