Volume 5 Article informations Tourism development and preservation of fragile coastal areas in Algeria: the case of the skikda tourist expansion area SID AHMED SOUFIANE Abstract "The coastline is a geographical entity that calls for a specific policy of laying out, of protection and development” (Legifrance, 2016). It is a zone of contact between the earth and the sea, which constitutes today a more and more solicited space that accentuates its fragility. The Algerian coastline extends on 1,622 kilometers. It represents a fragile ecosystem that is constantly under threat of degradation due to the concentration of population, economic activities and infrastructure along the coastal strip. This high population concentration has led to excessive urbanization. In this article, the focus is on the venue of the coastline in public policies of the touristic development, the adaptation modes of the projects of the touristic expansion’s areas and the recent laws on the environment. The concept is to analyze the coastal management methods, that are determined by social, economic, cultural, political or technical factors, aiming to ensure a balance between tourism and environment. Keywords: Touristic valorisation, preservation, touristic expansion zone, coastal area