Tourism in the Caribbean and the Blue Economy: Can the two be aligned?

Clegg, Peter; Cumberbatch, Janice; Degia, Karima

Abstract

The tourism industry is a vital component for Caribbean economies. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism accounted for over 15% of the Caribbean economy in 2018, equating to US$62.1 billion. This means tourism is more important to the Caribbean than any other region of the world. So for the majority of Caribbean countries, tourism is seen as a significant engine of economic growth, now and in the future. Of course, much of the tourism product is linked to nature, and a large part of that is framed around the coastal and marine environment. This contribution is only likely to grow, and coastal and marine tourism is projected to be the largest part of the global ocean economy by 2030. The Caribbean is very likely to benefit from this, but of course managing this growth effectively and sustainably will be challenging. The region must be responsive and creative. This chapter considers the links between tourism and the blue economy, future growth and challenges and whether it is fair to say that at present tourism and the Blue Economy agenda remain largely separate bedfellows.

• Online Publication Date: Oct 23, 2020
• Publication Date: Oct 23, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 9, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 24, 2022
• Pages: 131-142
• Series Title: Europa Regional Perspectives
• Book Title: The Caribbean Blue Economy
• Chapter Number: 11
• ISBN: 9780367263676
• Keywords: Tourism, sustainability, cruise ships, regional cooperation, coastal zone management, state capacity
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6977069
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/The-Caribbean-Blue-Economy/Clegg-Mahon-McConney-Oxenford/p/book/9780367263676
• Contract Date: Apr 6, 2020