Doorway to Europe: migration and its impact on island tourism

Abstract

Lampedusa is today best known in relation to migration. The island has confronted one migration crisis after the other for the past three decades, resulting in extensive media coverage. Whereas Lampedusa, a small island in the central Mediterranean region, has an economy mainly based on tourism, its name remains associated with migration, which is believed to negatively impact the island’s image and the performance of its tourism sector. On the other hand, migration has to some extent, put Lampedusa on the map, helping the island gain popularity. The island’s existing tourism model is based on sun, sand, and sea (3S) and is made attractive by its beaches, one of which has ranked as the best beach in the world, as well as by marketing efforts presenting Lampedusa as 'the Caribbean island of the Mediterranean'. However, migration and 3S are camouflaging other resources that are key to the island’s image. Lampedusa has a terrestrial nature reserve as well as a marine protected area that is home to several charismatic marine species, making it an ideal ecotourism destination. These resources can be used not only to depict a more representative image of the island but also to develop a sustainable tourism model that is suitable to a small island.