The hybridisation of tourism policies: between the development of seaside resorts and the promotion of "ordinary" urban and industrial development. The case of Martigues, a coastal town in the South of France.

Résumé En

Since the beginning of the tourist phenomenon, tourism has played an important role in the production and shaping of spaces. The dynamics of the evolution of these regions must be questioned. The modes that were used to determine the value of generic resources on which the attractiveness of coastal destinations was based (the triptych: the sea, sand and sun) no longer suffice to ensure the success of the attraction to tourists of a coastline whose multiple regional resources have become essential. This chapter questions how institutional actors redefine their public policy guidelines by mobilising what they consider to be “regional resources” specific to the spatial structure and sociocultural atmosphere of coastal stations. The analysis of the processes for selecting and promoting regional resources thus allows us to highlight the games played by the actors involved and the potential conflicts of use and governance associated with these processes. Drawing on a specific case study, this chapter discusses the processes of the hybridisation of tourism and urban policies. It questions how Martigues, an industrial and coastal town in southern France, was transformed into a tourist place.