During the whole season, the phones of tourist offices and municipalities do not stop ringing. The main question of tourists and locals. how to make a booking request for access to the Laves Islands, Aiguilles de Bavella and Restonica Valley sites? Three sites affected by the visitor quota announcement last June. A debate by the Corsican Assembly, published in early June, ratified a series of measures against mass tourism. The main one, the quotas, did not finally see the light of day. Announcement effect or simple lack of time for optimal organization?
The discussion approved the establishment of human attendance quotas, not exceeding a total of 200,000 visitors, between 2022 and 2026 in the Lavesci Islands, located in the Bushe de Bonifacio Reserve (Cours-du-Sud). This southernmost jewel of the island receives about 300,000 visitors every summer, the report recalls. During the summer of 2019, 4,500 people visited the scene in one day.
2000 people per day
Thus, the daily quota was to be set at a maximum of 2,000 people at a time on the land side of the island. Visitors were to be allowed to visit the site by reservation, with priority given to Corsicans. Only environmental office workers, school children, supervised student groups and other environmental associations that have applied for landing should not be subject to this quota.
But no visitor flow restrictions or booking system has been implemented for this 2022 season. Indeed, were limited to the preservation of Posidonia, as noted in the discussion. After contacting us, the municipality of Bonifacio chose not to communicate on the subject of quotas.
Act on parking
“Fake news”. at the same time was initially attracted to Javier Paul. The mayor of Corte (Haute-Corse), on which the management of the Restonica valley depends, assures. Figaro wouldn’t bereported that quotas or reservations should be implemented from July“. “Thinking is one thing, its fall is another. “he sneers, surprised”What are these quotas based on? Where to make reservations?“. As for the Restonica Valley, the device presented in the discussion of the Corsican Assembly should make it possible to reduce the pressure of approximately 80 vehicles on the entrance to the nature reserve of the Monte Ritondo Massif, which includes the high Restonica Valleys. . However, no specific agreement has been established this year.
To obtain the Grand site de France label,We had already made efforts to reduce the impact of cars by returning the Grotel car park to nature.“Now the place can accommodate 350 cars, compared to about 500 before. “Thinking in terms of people may not always work. Each site is different and other initiatives may be implemented outside of the quotas so that the flow is not concentrated in the same place at the same time.”, supports Javier Poli, who assures that he is still determined to improve the management of tourist numbers.
In the Aiguilles de Bavella, a mountainous area in the heart of the Corsican Regional Natural Park, there were no strictly speaking quotas either, but a flow regulated by the parking management that allows “reduce the volume of the offer, i.e. 400 fewer users per day on average compared to current activity (1000 people per day)“, according to the consultation. The Corsican Environment Office (OEC) has not yet responded to our inquiries. This body, some of whose members are elected by the Corsican Assembly, is responsible for the coordination of regional policy on the environment and sustainable development, including monitoring the measures presented in the report.
Delayed
With our partners Corpse-Morning OEC President Guy Armanet confirms.Quotas, we have de facto created by limiting parking spaces.“Many continuous yellow lines have really flourished along the road to indicate no parking and new car parks have sprung up. If the testimonies of locals and tourists gathered by our partners indicate a lack of communication about these new parking measures, they nevertheless correspond to the goals set by the discussion.
Especially since, according to Alta Roca Interurban Municipality, a micro-region consisting of 18 municipalities of Corse-du-Sud; Corpse-Morningit was “for urgent actionand preferablystart applying them this season instead of waiting another year». And Guy Armanet to add.We planned to communicate in July, but we had delays in shipping some materials (…), so we didn’t. It is certainly a mistake and we will do it better for next year.»
Source: Le Figaro
