The governance of a natural area and the challenges of sports tourism and well-being practices. The case of the Mercantour National Park
The society in search of well-being encourages citizens to invest nature spaces to indulge in recreational practices beneficial to their health. This trend encourages naturally endowed territories to turn to this new tourist windfall while preserving their environment with a view to sustainable development. The progressive disengagement of the state since decentralization has forced the territories to turn to more or less complex partnerships. Governance is one of the means of answering these problems in a goal of collective efficiency. The ecosystem approach advocated by the National Parks Act has led to a more dynamic approach to park governance. Analyzing the evolution of the natural territory management methods makes it possible to determine the most relevant criteria and the most favourable conditions allowing the establishment of a type of governance that reconciles tourism issues of physical practices for health purposes and preservation of the territory.