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