Sustainable Tourism: Recommendations

Developing a sustainable tourism plan to be implemented within the Dutch Caribbean will require integration and teamwork at all levels. Although there is no easy solution, through working together and taking the following items into consideration, the Dutch Caribbean can successfully design a sustainable tourism future to ensure its natural resources are here for generations to come:

• Plan must contain a long-term vision and objectives, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities of those involved, and must establish a monitoring system to ensure implementation is done successfully.
• Ecological footprint of tourism must be kept at a minimum, which means taking into consideration infrastructure needs, impact on local culture and using the economic benefits to better the islands as a whole.
• An honest look at each islands’ carrying capacity needs to be used to establish realistic limitations and work to encourage high-end, low-impact tourism over mass tourism.
• Increasing public awareness, of both tourists and residents, through education programs on their environmental impact and recommend best daily practices to minimize these impacts.
• Governments should provide incentives for businesses to develop in a sustainable, environmentally friendly ways.

Portion from Sustainable Tourism Special Edition BioNews