Grand Baie (île Maurice) : côté jardin, côté cour

Abstract

Grand Baie, « Mauritius Saint-Tropez », is a well-known touristic destination in the Indian Ocean. Within twenty years (1970 – 1990) the little village of fishermen and agricultural workers, vacation spot of the local upper classes, became a showcase for international tourism thanks to a strong political will that counts on this sector to develop the territory. On the shown side, the seaside station flaunts the postcard view of its beautiful bay with boats, coconut trees and hotels by the sea. But on the hidden side it’s a miserable world in a revolting environment. This contrast characterizes this specific place. The anarchic settlement pushed by a flourishing touristic activity produced a chaotic urban landscape, with conflicts for area sharing, modified social relations and cultural references, and caused severe damages to the environment. The duality of the spatial organization, the ambiguous relations between local people and tourists, the sometimes irreversible damages to the environment, the political inertia bring up questions about the durability of the system.

Keywords

• tourism
• Grand Baie
• urbanization/urbanisation
• environment
• development