Essay: Caribbean Tourism's Future

Caribbean Stake Holder Analysis

Discuss about the Tourism Futures for Caribbean Tourism.

Similar to consumer product the Caribbean tourism marketed and packaged towards mass consumption. The Caribbean tourism industry can be compared easily with industries like the forestry and petroleum production with ways that includes the commoditization and the exploitation of the natural resources with Caribbean tourism also based on mainly the natural resources such as the sea, sand and sun (Goodwin, 2008). Through the natural resources exploitation as well as commoditization, this Caribbean tourism helps towards providing the pathway both regarding the economic development and regarding giving source for local government to exploit those.

 This industry of Caribbean tourism differs also from the paradigm that is typical of the exploitation, the commoditization of the natural resources to the degree that is based on the impacts that directly affects the social conditions and the local culture. The continuous arrivals of the foreign tourists have towards the disrupting of the local norms those are social and the traditions and the institutions those are cultural affect potentially. The preservation relating to the cultural and the social stability merely does not provide the principle that threatens with cultivating divisions among these Caribbean communities that is local.

The sustainable practices affect the various stakeholders. The inhabitants of the islands are the first affected with a small population of close to one million consisting of the various islands. The framework towards the policy for these inhabitants began with the development process with the demographics, the size and the population with figures providing the income and the gaps that were primary to the sustainment of the tourism goals.

Apart from the inhabitants the tourists those who are arriving in the Caribbean make the sustainability drive. The area relating to the tourism brings close to $ 10 million or more business that helps the economy as this is the main source that drives the island nation within the Caribbean region for the sustainment of the entire ecology and the people of this region (Holder, 2007). This is mainly the active sector in this Caribbean region as it focuses more beach tourism. The investments that are provided for this sector is primarily important to the need related to the sustainability regarding the development of the tourism. The region that thrives to put forward the fact that average 55% tourism expenditure moves out of the destination nation but this commonwealth area of Caribbean having least expenditure moving out of region helps the sustainability issue. 

Tourism Life Cycle

Prior to the proper analysis of the Caribbean the need to address the Tourism Life cycle area of Butler’s.  This landmark study related to the area, the flow of the events that provides to the areas that dictate the business resort success in the long term with the depiction of the normal flow related to those events in the cycle that are to follow. The part where the Caribbean plan related to the sustainability does not address really is the extension and the continuation of the Caribbean life cycle (Butler, 2006). The plan that are applied by the local authorities with the plans related to the study is exactly not meant with the areas to extend the tourism trade declining life, since the area related to the tourism in this region of the Caribbean is growing and getting bigger year on year. This does not provide to suggest that it does not effect, as plans need to be made keeping the future that foreseeable with complementing the 2040 plan for maintain the economic growth and the rising tourist sector.

There are three stages of tourism development that Caribbean government has to undertake to ensure that the diverse use of environment is taken place. The first year consists of ten year plan emphasis up on creating healthier environment like recycling programs, fostering developments in the near future and formulating policies. The second case is for twenty years with the focus on sustainability in cultural and the last aspect is encompassing both. It involves the future elements associated with renovating the procedures and policies continuously that aims for sustainability.

The first approach adopted by Caribbean is to establish Sustainability Council through centralized mode and legal mode. The logo of sustainable tourism is One Caribbean, One sea and one voice (OneCaribbean, 2016). Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association has taken an initiative with the help of Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) by working with strategic partners OBM International for looking into the sustainability of Caribbean region. The Council authoritative has to work on various aspects so that sustainability can be expressed through use of resources and replacement in islands. With this sustainability can also be maintained by incorporating culture where the tradition and inhabitations life are not at stake. The first issue in way of sustainability is energy consumption that is based on oil dependency and also use of alternative such as non-green for generating energy.

Tourism Development Stages

As the price of oil is increasing it is becoming difficult for inhabitants so using alternatives will fetch in expansion, increased purchasing power and investing in business. The cost to the business should be lowered for attracting tourists thereby, increasing revenue and growth of Island (Davies, 2002). The Council gas to ensure growth of renewable resources by raising the supply as in the case. Due to expensive technology it will be impossible to implement in high number but, the demand may rise and with this growth in infrastructure can be seen. The main problem in Caribbean is the mono product that is being sold i.e. Sand and Sea. The region is only famous for this product that mostly attracts tourists. Additionally, the ecological footprint also needs to be protecting its natural resources affecting the environment.    

The natural resource has to be protected with the climatic change that is occurring in the location. The flora, fauna, oceans etc. have to be protected from damages as with the rising population deforestation is taking place. The Caribbean tourism organization has to set up policies by incorporating littering fines, programs for recycling and wildlife restoration.  

In this stage the first issue is culture as before 50 years it was declining the reason being immigration and repressive policies. Caribbean is a diverse states ethnically that involves Europeans, Africans, Lebanese, Chinese, Jews and other groups too. The values and ideas about the culture awareness have to be increased by being culturally diverse for serving tourist. For building culture awareness the topics should be taught in schools for increasing the longevity. With this cultural festivals should also be held that helps in sharing the fashion by promoting tourism for visitors and local host. The government should also generate funds by promoting festivals by indulging into source of entertainment and fluency of language by supporting programs.           

Language encompasses a big component in culture for fostering sustainability in the process by talking to people via spreading knowledge. This reduces the gap of culture dislocation by encouraging the host population to participate in the cultural activities by taking pride. The festivals such as St. Lucia’s annual Jazz or Carnival taking place Tobago (Zappino, 2005). This festivals taking place in Caribbean region is even working in peak low seasons by earning revenue through spectators and participants. The last aspect of sustainability is for families in Caribbean that is linked to agriculture and fishing. The trend is being continuing since centuries that are now linked to cultural aspect. The solution that can be generated is urban farming that helps the families in having its own single plot for each individual in cities.

First Stage (1-10 Years)

The cultural barriers created for families have to be removed by Caribbean Travel Organization (CTO) by removing the barrier of fishing. The business idea shared by contributing in the long-term is via earning business revenue in short-term by being a Caribbean brand. This attention is also grabbed by the media sources for promoting a location.

The last stage is incorporating plans by having an effective control of system by implementing it in an efficient manner. This is done for sustainable environment by establishing policies that benefits the visitors and tourists. This controlling and monitoring in case of policies is mandatory for maintaining the sustainability that is successful. The region should focus up on working on entire process for generating sustainability by finding methods for raising the sustainability of the last ten years. This includes improving performance of business by economic or considering cultural elements of population. This stage is on the maintenance plan by implementing best measures by taking measures that is suitable and appropriate. This has two aspects- culture is surveying about the population by learning about local cultures and being bilingual.

Another is sector of renewable energy that is used to measure the amount of release in environment and composing renewable energy percentage in the sector. The most crucial is increasing the demand as tourist destination by attracting more and more visitors. According to Clare Gunn’s study of tourism there are forces that work on the tourism equilibrium in the environment residing. The demand forces in the market is an indicator of expenses that is encompassing for stay, things and activities that can be performed, cost of area visiting and area beauty (Gunn, 1980). The quality and sharing of information via online tools with this marketing campaign for influencing people by making it a hotspot for visitors. According to UNWTO reports staggering developments in tourism is taking place and Caribbean has position its market by acting as driving force in economic diversification.

The PESTLE analysis related to the Caribbean is important for knowing the areas and the factors that work in that region. With better relations among the locals and the authorities, bring strong political climate that suggests the closeness in the cooperation regarding the development of the Caribbean region. The area though largely not affected by the economic, as large economic gap does not exist in the region with people happily understanding the tourism provides the livelihood that helps towards reduction in the poverty and bettering the lives of the local community at large(Daye et al., 2008). The cultural factors with the tourism helping this local and the social culture to exhibit that remains important towards the sustainment of the plans. The technology with regards to the implementation of the energy programs require the implementation that helps the sustainability with affordability and spreading with the local government supporting the initiatives with the environment and the resources towards creating renewable energy. Thus Caribbean with better climatic conditions and growing tourism has better cultural and social ethos that help the sustainable plan 2040.  

References

Butler, R. (2006) The tourism area life cycle. Clevedon: Channel View Publications.

Davies, P. (2002). Tourism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Daye, M. et al. (2008) New perspectives in Caribbean tourism. New York: Routledge.

Goodwin, J. (2008) Sustainable Tourism Development in the Caribbean Island Nation-States. Michigan Journal of Public Affairs. 52-3.

Gunn, C. (1980). Tourism planning. Annals of Tourism Research, 7(4), pp.617-619.

Holder, J. (2007) Pattern and impact of tourism on the environment of the Caribbean.Tourism Management. 12 (4), 119-127.

Lambert, E. (2009) Nature Island Tourism: Applying an Eco-Tourism Sustainability Framework to the Island Of Dominica. Journal of Environmental Studies. 7.

McLeod, M. (2015) Caribbean Tourism. Tourism Management. [Online] 48316-317.

Sharpley, R. (2006). Travel and tourism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Zappino, V. (2005). Caribbean Tourism and development: An overview. [online] ecdpm.org. Available at: https://ecdpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DP-65-Caribbean-Tourism-Industry-Development-2005.pdf [Accessed 15 Sep. 2016].