« Sector Structuring and Entrepreneurial Dynamics : Adaptation Capacity of Tourism Businesses in Corsica and the Balearic Islands – A Comparative Analysis »

The tourism sector remains intrinsically vulnerable to crises of various kinds, particularly natural disasters, terrorist attacks, volcanic activity, and pandemics. The unprecedented disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which virtually brought global tourism to a standstill for several months, prompted a critical reassessment of tourism specialization and rekindled debates on the sector's potential for sustainable transformation (Girard & Schéou, 2020). In this context of reflection, the present study seeks to analyze the adaptive capacity of tourism enterprises in response to the structural changes that have confronted the sector in recent years. Particular attention is devoted to the consequences of the growing collective awareness of climate change, as well as to the evolving attitudes of residents regarding mass tourism—sometimes manifesting as outright rejection of tourism in certain destinations (Saidi, 2025). The primary objective of this research is to examine and compare the adaptive strategies implemented by tourism businesses in Corsica and the Balearic Islands in the face of these profound transformations, while also investigating the underlying sources of this adaptive capacity. To this end, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining theoretical analysis with quantitative examination of relevant databases, as well as qualitative data derived initially from internal reports and press articles, followed by the conduct of semi-structured interviews. Within this framework, the analysis focuses on the organizational structures of the tourism sector, and more specifically on tourism enterprises across the two case studies—Corsica and the Balearic Islands. Although tourism accounts for a substantial share of regional GDP in both insular contexts (approximately 40%—INSEE, IBESTAT), divergent tourism models are observed: an "integrated" model predominates in the Balearics, while Corsica is characterized by a "non-integrated" model. The aim of this research is therefore to explore the consequences of these structural differences for firms' adaptive capacity. The study approaches adaptive capacity through the lens of innovation potential, which is itself closely linked to the level of foreign investment received by tourism enterprises (Coussi, 2016). These analytical tools allow for the identification of both entrepreneurial and socio-cultural divergences. The findings of this research are expected to shed light on the resilience and sustainability of tourism models in the face of current environmental and social challenges.