Economic Dependencies and Dilemmas

The Trap of Success

Communities face painful paradoxes:

Mont-Saint-Michel Example - 3 million annual visitors - 30 permanent residents - 100% tourism-dependent - No real community life

Restaurant owner Jean admits: "I make excellent money three months yearly. But my children had no playmates, my wife left for a normal life. Success destroyed what it was meant to preserve."

Diversification Challenges

Breaking tourism dependence proves difficult:

Structural Barriers - Skills specialized for tourism - Infrastructure tourist-oriented - Investment patterns established - Alternative industries absent

Psychological Dependencies - Identity tied to tourism - Easy money expectations - Risk aversion after success - Change resistance