2025/01/01 by Scheyvens, Regina, Movono, Apisalome, Auckram, Sophie
Social Sciences · #Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research #Island Studies and Pacific Affairs #Cruise Tourism Development and Management
paper · doi:10.26021/16132
Many small island states, such as those in the Pacific Ocean, are highly dependent on revenue from international tourism. Thus, shocks to the tourism sector, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, hit very hard. Cognisant of the devastating economic losses faced by tourism-dependent island states during the coronavirus pandemic, our research sought out the views of local communities in terms of their thoughts on best paths for future development. We did this deliberately because governments and industry bodies tend to dominate decision-making about post-crisis recovery, often favouring a return to business-as-usual as quickly as possible. By contrast, many scholars have advocated for alternative, more regenerative approaches. As it is those ‘on the ground’ who bear the consequences of decisions that are made, this research highlights voices of people living in four tourism-dependent Pacific Island Countries. Data collection included surveys and interviews, and we report here on what some of the qualitative data revealed. Our findings show that while people’s aspirations for future tourism varied somewhat, there were some key themes that many raised: enhanced employee wellbeing and rights, greater local control over tourism, support for local ownership of tourism enterprises, care for the environment, and, beyond tourism, support for people’s involvement in diverse livelihood and cultural activities. Achieving this vision would require policy shifts and policy coherence across sectors to support development that is socially inclusive and protects the natural environment. We argue that such an approach could ensure greater resilience in the face of future shocks and disasters which will inevitably continue to challenge island states.