This diploma thesis addresses the phenomenon of volunteerism in the form of teaching English in the so-called developing countries. The focus is especially on its direct form, without the mediation of any third party, where people from the Global North arrange their volunteer stays directly with the people from the Global South whom they then visit and teach English as volunteers. The main objective of this thesis is to determine whether this form of volunteerism is beneficial and if so then who benefits from it to what extent and in what way. My research provides a critical analysis of this phenomenon through a review of literature concerned with the broader context of this topic and qualitative research which consists of two parts. First, I have conducted field research in Ecuador where I have taught English as a volunteer in a local school. Then I have conducted semi-structured interviews with volunteers from the Global North who had participated in similar volunteer stays in the Global South. Through this research, I have come to the conclusion that the described form of volunteerism can be very beneficial for all its participants if it is well established. However, its main benefit lies not in the improvement of the level of local English but in its potential of supporting intercultural...

The main research objective of this master thesis paper is discovering links between ecotourism and sustainability. The paper is specifically focusing on theoretical potential of ecotourism and its ability to create conditions for long-term sustainability. The theoretical potential of ecotourism is confronted with opinion of experts within semi-structured interviews, which are analysed using framework analysis. The compatibility of ecotourism and sustainability is then closely examined in a case study of Slavkovsky les protected area. The case study shows that development of sustainability through ecotourism (or tourism) can be expected under certain conditions. The case study results also indicate that it is possible to create a simplified theoretical model, which can be applied to other suitable protected areas in the Czech Republic if appropriate modifications take place. More detailed research of individual sustainability aspects recognized in ecotourism could possibly deliver a more precise and specific model. This model could then provide a more reliable framework to estimate the potential of individual protected areas to use ecotourism as its development tool. Key words: tourism, ecotourism, sustainable tourism, sustainability, sustainable development, protected areas, framework analysis

Le tourisme constitue un poids significatif pour la Tunisie. Ses impacts économiques sur le pays sont considérables (6% du PIB et plus de 386 000 emplois directs et indirects en 2009). Cependant aujourd’hui, ce secteur touristique fait face à de nombreuses difficultés. Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une politique de relance du tourisme en Tunisie. Elle est structurée en deux parties. Dans la première, le diagnostic du tourisme tunisien montre que le secteur souffre à deux niveaux : stratégique (la gestion du secteur est laissée au privé sans intervention de l’Etat, ce qui donne lieu à une faible rentabilité de certains hôtels, un fort endettement à cause de la pratique de prix « moins cher » et l’esprit de l’ « affaire familiale ») et qualitatif (l’épuisement du modèle fordiste). La thèse expose les limites d’un fordisme quantitativiste, puis démontre qu’une nouvelle lecture de marché touristique est nécessaire pour réaliser une performance économique durable. Dans cette perspective, la mise en œuvre d’une évaluation économique et environnementale s’impose. Dans la deuxième partie, à partir d’un territoire précis (île de Djerba), il s’agit de réfléchir à des nouvelles trajectoires. Le travail suppose la construction d’indicateurs pertinents de performance économique et environnementale en vue d’améliorer la qualité des méthodologies d’évaluation de la rentabilité du secteur touristique. Au niveau économique, l’étude propose une nouvelle méthode permettant d’apprécier l’impact économique du tourisme sur l’île de Djerba. Cette méthode appelée « méthode de masses », s’inspire de la théorie de la croissance ou du développement. Elle nécessite la détermination des activités directes, indirectes et induites. Les indicateurs mesurés sont : la Valeur Ajoutée (VA), l’Excédent Brut d’Exploitation (EBE) et l’Emploi (E). Les résultats obtenus montrent que les activités directes les plus génératrices de richesse et d’emplois sont l’hôtellerie dans un contexte de tourisme de masse. Pour les activités indirectes, il s’agit de la consommation des produits agroalimentaires, des produits agricoles et de la pêche. La méthode proposée permet de reconstruire une image de la place du tourisme conforme à la structure observée de l’économie locale. Le résultat remet en cause les coefficients multiplicateurs proposés dans les travaux antérieurs. Ces résultats peuvent constituer une base de réflexion pour le décideur politique relativement aux projets de développement touristique futurs. Au niveau de l’évaluation de l’état de lieux de l’environnement, elle permet au tourisme djerbien de défendre son avenir. Cette évaluation porte aussi sur la dimension environnementale et propose une analyse des instruments réglementaires mis en place à Djerba ainsi que la possibilité d’intégrer les nouveaux instruments proposés par l’Organisation Mondiale du Tourisme dont l’objectif est la recherche d’un développement durable de l’activité touristique qui ne mettre pas en péril la richesse naturelle de l’île. / Tourism is a significant resource for Tunisia. Its economic impacts on the country are considerable (6% of GDP and over 386 000 direct and indirect jobs in 2009). But today, the tourism sector is facing many difficulties. This thesis is part of a plan to boost tourism in Tunisia. It is structured in two parts. The first diagnosis of the Tunisian tourism sector shows that it suffers on two levels: strategic (management is left to the private sector without government intervention, which leads to low profitability of some hotels, a high debt because of the pricing practice and the family business model) and qualitative (over-reliance on the Fordist model). The thesis discusses the limitations of Fordism quantitative, and demonstrates that a new reading of the tourism market is needed to achieve sustainable economic performance. From this perspective, the implementation of economic and environmental assessments is required. In the second part on the thesis, envisions a new trajectory for a specific territory (Djerba Island), it is to think of new trajectories. The work demands the search of relevant indicators of economic and environmental quality in order to assess the best methodologies to improve the assessment of the profitability of the tourism sector. Economically, the study proposes a new method for assessing the economic impact of tourism on the island of Djerba. This method called "method of the masses", builds on the theory of growth or development. It requires the determination of direct, indirect and induced activities. The indicators measured are: Value Added (VA), Earnings Before Interests, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) and Employment (E). The results show that the most direct activities that generate wealth and jobs are hotels. For indirect activities, it is the consumption of food products, agricultural products and fisheries. These results may provide a basis upon which for policy-makers may evaluate future tourism development projects. In terms of assessing the importance of the environment, it allows the Djerbian tourism to defend its future. This evaluation will also examine the environmental dimension and provides an analysis of regulatory instruments in place in Djerba and seeks to integrate new instruments proposed by the World Tourism Organization which objective is to search for sustainable development of tourism activity to conserve the natural wealth of the island.