Towards the Development of a Sustainable Sport Tourism Destination in Madagascar: The Key Role of Inhabitants as Stakeholders

Based on two field surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022 in several localities in Madagascar, this chapter proposes an overview of the situation of sport tourism in the Big Island. The large size and diversity of fauna, flora, and landscapes are assets that the State struggles to exploit to improve the country’s economic situation. Formerly a French colony, the independence obtained in 1960 did not allow the emergence of a more egalitarian society. The population remains polarised between a very rich social class and a lack of a middle class. The employment sector is mostly informal. Both local people and foreign investors therefore accept the risks associated with the weak public authorities currently in use. There is a split between the highlands and the coasts, with the latter largely remaining undeveloped by the State. The lack of statistics and the limited scientific research in social sciences on the issues of sport tourism make it a research subject difficult to grasp.