Gruetzmacher, Ilonka (2021) Islands and Sustainable Tourism Policies: A Global Exploration. Master thesis.
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Abstract
Developing sustainable tourism, particularly in the context of overtourism, is a complex process that has no single approach to ensure success. Not only do the terms elude precise definitions, but they vary in their focus and contexts, such as whether sustainability is pursued in terms of environmental protection or in terms of cultural protection. In the case of islands that have a large tourism sector, sustainability is yet more complex as they need to carefully balance economic benefits with environmental and social factors. To approach this broad topic, a correspondingly broad range of research locations was used. Nine islands from five continents, including Ambergris Caye, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Faroe Islands, the Galapagos Islands, the Gili Islands, Isle of Skye, Kauai, and the Seychelles, participated in this research. Interviews explored what types of approaches to sustainability are used, what challenges and opportunities exist for small islands in terms of sustainable tourism and how tourist behavior contributes to overtourism. Interviews were conducted in two Delphi rounds, the first interview being individual and the second being in a group setting to reflect on different policies together. Overall, it was found that despite vastly different contexts, islands across the globe face similar challenges and have similar approaches to sustainability. These general approaches were classified into four general policy categories, which include direct and quantifiable strategies, strategies that change tourist types and behaviors, strategies that integrate the local community, and indirect mechanisms that influence sustainability. This research concludes that collaboration between policymakers is necessary for optimization of sustainable tourism policies and presents the different ways in which policies discussed during the interviews are effective.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Cultural Geography |
| Supervisor: | Sijtsma, F.J. and Ballas, D. |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Sep 2021 14:04 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Sep 2021 14:05 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3721 |
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