A policy framework for sustainable tourism: the case of Trinidad and Tobago

• Main Author: Bascombe, Philbert Anthony
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/5018

International tourism is rapidly becoming the world's fastest growing industry. The industry has generated growth and investment in many countries. However, this growth has frequently been achieved at the expense of the human and physical environment in many countries, particularly in the developing world. These impacts have been manifested in the form of social, cultural and environmental degradation. Disillusionment with mass tourism and the problems associated with it have led many researchers and planners to question the past unplanned approach to tourism development. Organizations such as the World Tourism Organization and the Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT) are calling for an "alternative tourism," broadly defined as a form of tourism which is consistent with social, cultural, economic and environmental values of destination areas. The case study outlines a policy framework for adopting an alternative approach to tourism development for one Commonwealth Caribbean country, Trinidad and Tobago. Implicit in this approach is the need to ensure that tourism development emphasizes community involvement, distributional equity, respect for local cultures, and protection and enhancement of the human and physical environment on which tourism is based. The general purpose of the case study is to make a contribution to the development of a sustainable tourism industry in Trinidad and Tobago by emphasizing the need for effective planning, and by providing a policy framework within which sustainable tourism can take place. The focus will be on how policy and planning approaches can facilitate a move towards a more sustainable form of tourism development.