Towards sustainable tourism: The need to integrate conservation and development using the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, Tobago, West Indies

Abstract

In many countries of the Caribbean, tourism is a mainstay to economies. Semi-autonomous Tobago's Buccoo Reef Marine Park (BRMP) was established as one of the island's premier tourist attractions. However, the increasing and poorly regulated activity in the coastal zone that is taking place to complement the burgeoning tourism industry, threatens the ecological integrity of the Buccoo Reef. This paper investigates the synergies between conservation, sustainable tourism and improving societal economic and social well-being. Within a framework that recognises the strategic importance of a competitive tourism product, it examines how the Buccoo Reef impacts the livelihoods and ongoing development in Tobago. It explores the extent and probable causes for the Reef's decline. Proposed is how the Park can better achieve conservation of the reef ecosystem while encouraging economic and social growth on the island, with a goal of more effectively managing and sustainably exploiting the coral reef resources of Tobago.

Island ecosystem services: insights from a literature review on case-study island ecosystem services and future prospects

“…Trade-offs with recreation and eco-tourism arising from blast fishing, fertiliser runoff, wastewater management, sediments from run-off and coastal construction, damage due to reef walking, boat anchoring and fishing harvest have been reported (e.g. Teh and Cabanban 2007;Hassanali 2013). However, intensive management for recreation and eco-tourism IES can itself cause trade-offs and pressures that lead to reduced delivery of other key IES.…”

Stakeholders’ Perspectives of Sustainable Tourism Development

“…Sustainable tourism development is widely promoted as a panacea to the dilemmas of protected areas (Eagles et al 2002; Hassanali 2013; Puhakka et al 2009). Potential benefits of sustainable tourism in protected areas include enhancement of economic opportunities, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and improvement of quality of life of the local communities (Eagles 2013; Fennell and Weaver 2005; Puppim de Oliveira 2005; Strickland-Munro, Allison, and Moore 2010; UNEP and UNWTO 2005).…”

“…The outcomes depend on the nature of tourism development as determined by the biophysical, socioeconomic, and management characteristics of protected areas (Lai and Nepal 2006; Reinius and Fredman 2007; Ruschkowski et al 2013). In addition, sustainable management of tourism in protected areas requires cooperation and partnership among tourism stakeholders, including the tourism industry, government agencies, residents, nongovernmental organizations, and the tourists (Byrd 2007; Dlamini and Masuku 2013; Hassanali 2013; Weiler, Moore, and Moyle 2013). This is because the stakeholder groups have a direct interest in and are affected by tourism management decisions (Eagles et al 2002; Waligo, Clarke, and Hawkins 2013).…”

Local people's perceptions of participating in conservation in a heritage site: A case study of the Wuyishan Scenery District cultural and natural heritage site in Southeastern China

“…However, excessive tourism development and unreasonable tourism approaches have adversely influenced the ecological environment and local people's lives in heritage sites and have damaged the originality and integrity of heritage resources (Wang et al ., ). Damage to heritage sites, excessive development, management systems, legislation, expenses, and conflicts with the surrounding communities have become the primary problems facing world heritage site protection (Wang and Bramwell, ; Hassanali, ). After China participated in the World Heritage Committee in 1985, there was a large increase in its numbers of world heritage sites, including natural, cultural, and mixed heritage sites (Di et al ., ).…”