Abstract
St. Thomas has continually been one of the poorest of the 14 Parishes in Jamaica. In terms of tourism, although approximately 4% of the population of Jamaica lives in St. Thomas, the region receives less than 1% of all Jamaican tourists. Due to poor roads and related infrastructure, and the closing of one of the largest sugar factories on the Island, Golden Grove Sugar Factory in 2019 represent challenges facing the Parish. There have been positive developments in terms of future tourism, with an announced luxury resort and hotel to be built. The question is, and the focus of this research, is how to develop areas of Sustainable tourism in such a depressed environment. As defined by the UN World Tourism Organization, Sustainable Tourism is defined as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” This research explores potential venues/sites for Sustainable tourism in St. Thomas Parish. This study consists of a discussion of sustainable tourism literature as a source of development in regions experiencing severe poverty and neglect. Concurrently the research presents the findings and analysis of interviews conducted with graduate tourism students, and governmental and local industry representatives in Jamaica.
Presenters
Brent McKenzieProfessor, Marketing and Consumer Studies, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Critical Issues in Tourism and Leisure Studies
KEYWORDS
Sustainable Tourism; Economic Development; Environmental Issues
