Sectoral Structuring and Socio-Economic Context: The Resilience Capacity of Tourism Businesses in Corsica and the Balearic Islands - A Comparative Analysis

Léa Giudicelli, Università di Corsica Pasquale PaoliFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0000-8605-6432

Supervisors

PhD student, under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Marie FURT and Dr. Sandrine NOBLET

Abstract

The tourism sector remains intrinsically vulnerable to crises of various kinds, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, volcanic activity, and pandemics. The unprecedented disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which virtually paralysed global tourism for many months, have led to a critical reassessment of tourism specialisation and revitalised debates about the sector’s potential for sustainable transformation (Girard & Schéou, 2020). In this reflective context, the present study aims to analyse the adaptive capacity of tourism enterprises facing structural changes affecting the sector in recent years. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of growing collective awareness around climate change, as well as evolving resident attitudes toward mass tourism, sometimes marked by outright rejection of tourism in certain destinations (Saidi, 2025). The main objective of this research is to examine and compare the adaptive strategies implemented by tourism enterprises in Corsica and the Balearic Islands in response to these profound transformations, while investigating the underlying sources of such adaptive capacity. To this end, the study adopts a mixed methodological approach, combining theoretical analysis with quantitative examination of relevant databases, alongside qualitative data initially drawn from internal reports and press articles. The analysis focuses on the organisational structures of the tourism sector, specifically tourism enterprises in the two case studies - Corsica and the Balearic Islands. Although tourism represents a significant share of regional GDP in both island contexts (around 40% - INSEE, IBESTAT), divergent tourism models are observed: an ‘Organised Model’ predominates in the Balearics, while Corsica is characterised by an ‘Un-organised Model’. This research thus seeks to explore the consequences of these structural differences on enterprises’ adaptive capacity. The study approaches adaptive capacity through the lens of innovation potential, closely linked to the level of foreign investment received by tourism enterprises (Coussi, 2016). These analytical tools enable identification of both entrepreneurial and sociocultural divergences. The results of this research illuminate the resilience and sustainability of tourism models in response to current environmental and social challenges.

Recommended Citation

Giudicelli, Léa (2026) "Sectoral Structuring and Socio-Economic Context: The Resilience Capacity of Tourism Businesses in Corsica and the Balearic Islands - A Comparative Analysis," International Journal of Islands Research: Vol. 6: Iss. 2, Article 3.
doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/pqqh-cn96
Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijir/vol6/iss2/3