Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice

Despite exceptional economic and social growth compared to other African states, the Mauritian state has long been considered a periphery of the world system, defined through two main stereotypes: a tropical island paradise for international tourists, but also an island characterized by a great vuln...

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Main Author: Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes 2022-07-01
Series:L'Espace Politique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/10232
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author Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir
author_facet Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir
author_sort Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir
collection DOAJ
description Despite exceptional economic and social growth compared to other African states, the Mauritian state has long been considered a periphery of the world system, defined through two main stereotypes: a tropical island paradise for international tourists, but also an island characterized by a great vulnerability linked to its small size, its relative remoteness and its development problems. However, between March 2020 and March 2021, the unique way the COVID-19 pandemic has been managed questions territorial vulnerabilities. Furthermore, it invites us to address the issues of island discontinuity, smallness and islandness that have allowed Mauritian authorities to have a total control of the national space and, thereby, of the health crisis during the first year of the pandemic. However, the stringency of the containment and border closure measures has severely impacted island's economy, particularly tourism that is a major pillar of island development. However, the Mauritian authorities, aware of first signs of decline within tourism activity since 2019, were already thinking on the need to renew their tourism strategy. They have been tending to make this “Covid free” situation an opportunity to rethink the attractiveness of the Mauritian destination and engage in a “building back better” approach. This contribution proposal, which is based on numerous field missions carried out on this island over the past years, particularly in November 2020 and March 2021, intends to question island vulnerabilities in this unprecedented context of health, social and economic chaos.
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spelling doaj-art-506ae65546d44412afcd233040e4afc22025-08-20T01:54:19ZengUniversité de Reims Champagne-ArdennesL'Espace Politique1958-55002022-07-014410.4000/espacepolitique.10232Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île MauriceNathalie Bernardie-TahirDespite exceptional economic and social growth compared to other African states, the Mauritian state has long been considered a periphery of the world system, defined through two main stereotypes: a tropical island paradise for international tourists, but also an island characterized by a great vulnerability linked to its small size, its relative remoteness and its development problems. However, between March 2020 and March 2021, the unique way the COVID-19 pandemic has been managed questions territorial vulnerabilities. Furthermore, it invites us to address the issues of island discontinuity, smallness and islandness that have allowed Mauritian authorities to have a total control of the national space and, thereby, of the health crisis during the first year of the pandemic. However, the stringency of the containment and border closure measures has severely impacted island's economy, particularly tourism that is a major pillar of island development. However, the Mauritian authorities, aware of first signs of decline within tourism activity since 2019, were already thinking on the need to renew their tourism strategy. They have been tending to make this “Covid free” situation an opportunity to rethink the attractiveness of the Mauritian destination and engage in a “building back better” approach. This contribution proposal, which is based on numerous field missions carried out on this island over the past years, particularly in November 2020 and March 2021, intends to question island vulnerabilities in this unprecedented context of health, social and economic chaos.https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/10232spacetourismCOVID-19Mauritiusislandnesslockdown
spellingShingle Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir
Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
L'Espace Politique
space
tourism
COVID-19
Mauritius
islandness
lockdown
title Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
title_full Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
title_fullStr Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
title_full_unstemmed Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
title_short Quand les petites îles touristiques se referment. Repenser les vulnérabilités insulaires au temps du COVID-19 : l’exemple de l’île Maurice
title_sort quand les petites iles touristiques se referment repenser les vulnerabilites insulaires au temps du covid 19 l exemple de l ile maurice
topic space
tourism
COVID-19
Mauritius
islandness
lockdown
url https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/10232
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