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The aim of this paper is to enlighten the role second home owners can play within the dynamic of touristic coastal territories. Under the rising globalization, coastal zones are generally concerned with an important economic and demographic attractiveness. Second homes play a major part in this coastal pressure, first of all because of their number. In many cities, not only second homes form an important part of the housing stock, but they also represent numerous touristic accommodations and contribute to the local economy. Second homes owners are a hybrid population: somewhere between inhabitants and tourists, they are an example of new arts of dwelling and the mobility in our modern societies. They are alsoa subjectof considerable debate and controversy. We assume that, far from being “secondary”, this population takes a full part in their territories dynamics, especially in coastal and touristic zones. Our research group has conducted a methodological reflection in order to launch a pioneering study about second homes owners’ habits in Charente-Maritime. France being the first destination of international tourism, Charente-Maritime is the second touristic region in the country in terms of visits. As tourism represents the first economy in Charente-Maritime, the study leans on a significant partnership between La Rochelle University and local institutional and economic stakeholders. Thanks to this study, an important database has been built, and will be broadened in 2014 as the survey extends to all territories of Charente-Maritime. This paper presents some of first results.

International audience; The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the role second home owners play within the dynamic of touristic coastal territories. Second homes play a major part in the growing economic and demographic pressures on coastal areas, primarily because of their number. In many cities, not only do second homes form an important part of the housing stock, but they are also significant form of touristic accommodation and contribute to the local economy. Second homes owners are a hybrid population: somewhere between inhabitants and tourists, they are an example of new arts of dwelling and the mobility in our modern societies. They are also a subject of considerable debate and controversy. We assume that, far from being “secondary”, this population takes a full part in their territories dynamics, especially in coastal and touristic zones. This research is based on a methodological reflection in order to launch a pioneering study about second homes owners’ habits in Charente-Maritime, the second most important tourist region in France in terms of visits. This chapter focus on the coastal territories studied in 2013.

National audience; Une étude sur les usages des résidences secondaires a été réalisée entre 2012 et 2014 en Charente-Maritime, où l’on compte quelque 80 000 résidences secondaires ; un large partenariat a été nécessaire à sa réalisation. Il apparaît que ces résidents sont loin d’être “secondaires”. L’impact économique de leur présence est important, tandis que leur attachement au cadre de vie, comme leur relation à l’offre de services et de commerces démontrent un lien fort avec le territoire d’accueil.

International audience; The aim of this paper is to enlighten the role second home owners can play within the dynamic of touristic coastal territories. Under the rising globalization, coastal zones are generally concerned with an important economic and demographic attractiveness. Second homes play a major part in this coastal pressure, first of all because of their number. In many cities, not only second homes form an important part of the housing stock, but they also represent numerous touristic accommodations and contribute to the local economy. Second homes owners are a hybrid population: somewhere between inhabitants and tourists, they are an example of new arts of dwelling and the mobility in our modern societies. They are also the subject of considerable debate and controversy. We assume that, far from being “secondary”, this population takes a full part in their territories dynamics, especially in coastal and touristic zones.Our research group has conducted a methodological reflection in order to launch a pioneering study about second homes owners’ habits in Charente-Maritime. France being the first destination of international tourism, Charente-Maritime is the second touristic region in the country in terms of visits. As tourism represents the first economy in Charente-Maritime, the study leans on a significant partnership between La Rochelle University and local institutional and economic stakeholders. Thanks to this study, an important database has been built, and will be broadened in 2014 as the survey extends to all territories of Charente-Maritime. This paper presents some of first results.

National audience

International audience; The frequent comings and goings within various living places characterise second home owners. Neither truly tourist nor inhabitant in the region of their second home, this population category is hybrid, because they are owners of a home where they do not usually live during the year. This raises the question of their right to express themselves about the changes affecting the territory where their second home is located. Their way of living in this multipolar residential system, with the great mobility it induces, may be a key point to understand how they notice and evaluate the territorial changes of their second home place. This hypothesis is discussed in this paper, supported by the results of a survey led at a large scale in a French department of the Atlantic side coast, called Charente-Maritime. In particular, the relation between attendance modes of their second home and their degree of sensibility to changes is studied. Then, the analysis underlines how much this population category wishes to involve itself into the political choices leading to those changes, and express its opinion publicly about them. As a result, it is shown that the importance given to their second home inside their own residential system explains both the level of their sensibility and their expectations towards the governance and changes affecting the location of their second home.; Les résidents secondaires sont caractérisés par des mobilités fréquentes entre plusieurs espaces de vie. Vis-à-vis de leur lieu de villégiature, ils constituent une catégorie de population hybride, ni vraiment touriste, ni vraiment résidente, car ils sont propriétaires d’un logement où ils ne résident pas toute l’année. De ce fait se pose la question de leur légitimité à s’exprimer sur les changements affectant le territoire où est localisé leur second logement. Il s’agira de partir de l’hypothèse suivante : la configuration particulière de leur système résidentiel, et les mobilités spatiales qui en découlent, influenceraient la perception des changements territoriaux de leur lieu de villégiature. Notre analyse s’appuiera sur les résultats d’une étude d’envergure menée dans un département du littoral atlantique français, la Charente-Maritime. Après avoir présenté la méthodologie de cette étude, nous analyserons le lien entre les modalités de fréquentation de la résidence secondaire et le développement d’une certaine sensibilité aux changements de la part des propriétaires. Cette sensibilité aux changements peut s’accompagner d’une volonté d’exercer un droit de regard sur ces changements. Dès lors, leurs perceptions et leurs attentes peuvent être éclairées par la place accordée à la résidence secondaire au sein de leur système résidentiel.