Perceived Socio-economic, Socio-ecological and Socio-cultural Impacts of the Caribbean’s Tourism Sector

Abstract

A self-administered questionnaire was administered to participants attending the Caribbean Tourism Organization's 2010 Sustainable Tourism Conference held on Barbados to assess their motivation to attend the conference, their satisfaction with the contribution and impact of region's tourism sector, and the level of involvement of the youth in sector. The results of the analysis point to a strong interest in the annual Sustainable Tourism Conferences. Over 70% of participants were motivated to attend for the purposes of broadening their tourism knowledge base or for networking. The overall impacts of tourism at the community, national and regional levels seem to be acceptable to participants, but close to 15% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction. There was concern however about the level of involvement of the youth and the extent to which they benefited from the rewards of the tourism sector. This environment of concern may be an opportune time for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to consider mechanisms and strategies to attract and engage more youth to the sector. Indeed, there is a need for enhanced cooperation and coordination among CTO member governments, regional and international organizations, the private sector, and civil society actors, to harness the potential of youth for the benefit of the tourism sector. In this regard a few specific initiatives such as a Youth Tourism Ambassador Program and a Youth Tourism Mentors Program have been proposed. The need for more directed and deliberate investments in training programs targeted at the youth should also be considered. The practical implications of the study are discussed, as well as its limitations and scope for future research.

The Caribbean’s Geotourism Potential and Challenges: A Focus on Two Islands in the Region

“…Geotourism, a relatively new concept, could be one such possible option. The insular Caribbean is the most popular warm-weather tourism destination [3], with tourism earnings accounting for 25% of the region's gross domestic product [4]. Overall, there has been a The insular Caribbean is the most popular warm-weather tourism destination [3], with tourism earnings accounting for 25% of the region's gross domestic product [4].…”

“…The insular Caribbean is the most popular warm-weather tourism destination [3], with tourism earnings accounting for 25% of the region's gross domestic product [4]. Overall, there has been a The insular Caribbean is the most popular warm-weather tourism destination [3], with tourism earnings accounting for 25% of the region's gross domestic product [4]. Overall, there has been a small annual increase in the number of tourists to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) sub-region over the five years immediately preceding Hurricanes Irma and Maria (Table 1).…”

Exploring Motivations and Socio-Cultural Impacts of Erasmus+ Students in Rijeka, Croatia

“…Alternatively, aside from the negative experiences, many studies prove that tourists can indeed have a positive socio-cultural impact to some destinations. For example, if the purpose of travel is benevolent and both locals and tourists are open and interested in cultural exchange, the outcome is more likely to bring positive results (Aref and Rdzuan 2010;Christian 2016;Ogorelc et al 2013;Peric 2018;Teo 1994;Zamani-Farahani and Musa 2012). Furthermore, according to Fletcher et al (2018), tourism usually cherishes local pride in destination heritages, as locals seeing their homes through the tourist lens and may be more likely to consider their hometown's beauty.…”

“…Although the results of these past studies implicate that tourism has mainly positive effects on economic-related matters and negative ecological concerns, the socio-cultural impacts are still dubious and are dependent by destination case. Since there can be variety of causes, studies have started to investigate the idiosyncratic factors that tourism can present in explicit destinations and, furthermore, examine how these relations may impact the daily lives of local communities (Aref and Redzuan 2010;Budeanu 2007;Christian 2016;Hughes 2018). Some of the positive impacts can include tourists indirectly supporting local businesses, volunteering in local organisations, and adding value by bringing globalisation and multiculturalism to a destination.…”

Conceptualization and Realization of a National Trail in a Small Island-Nation: The Commonwealth of Dominica’s Experience

“…This assessment may also present opportunities to expand on some proven environmental education strategies identified by Christian et al [18] and to establish trail monitoring programs to assess trail conditions [19] and to reduce ecological impacts [20]. Assessment is also likely to provide insights into the Trail's socio-economic impact [21,22].…”