A Sustainable Tourism Development and Coastal Environment Protection: Evidence from Aokas Municipality, Béjaïa, Algeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22399/ijcesen.5125Keywords:
sustainable tourism, coastal zone management, GIS-MCDM, ZEST, AlgeriaAbstract
Coastal zones in developing countries face increasing pressure from uncontrolled urbanisation, mass tourism and poor environmental governance. Algeria, despite possessing nearly 1,600 km of Mediterranean coastline and exceptional natural heritage, has long underutilised its tourism potential. This paper examines how sustainable tourism development can simultaneously protect coastal ecosystems and stimulate local economic growth, using the municipality of Aokas, Béjaïa Province, as a case study. Drawing on field surveys (n = 150, Cronbach’s α = 0.81), spatial analysis of the ZEST Oued Zitouna using ArcGIS and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), and review of planning documents, the study identifies key tourism resources (beaches, karst cave, cape, forest ecosystems), assesses visitor demand patterns and evaluates existing infrastructure deficiencies. Results show that Aokas holds significant comparative advantages as a multi-form tourism destination — balneary, ecotourism, agrotourism and cultural — yet suffers from inadequate facilities, poor accessibility and absence of strategic planning. Key satisfaction scores reveal critical gaps in parking (1.8/5) and leisure facilities (2.0/5). The paper proposes an integrated coastal tourism development framework with a ZEST Oued Zitouna action plan aligned with ICZM and GIS-based spatial zoning. Findings contribute to the debate on sustainable coastal tourism governance in North Africa and offer a replicable GIS-MCDM planning model for Mediterranean developing contexts.
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