Resident perceptions of social–ecological resilience and the sustainability of community-based tourism development in the Commonwealth of Dominica

Abstract

Despite major investments in community-based tourism to diversify economies, reduce poverty and improve life quality in the Caribbean, little is known about what conditions lead to resilience and sustainability. Sustainability from a resilience theory perspective is the likelihood an existing system of resource use will persist indefinitely without a decline in social and natural resource bases. Undertaking activities to enhance resilience and sustainability improves a system's ability to persevere, adapt and learn to meet challenges from unanticipated economic, political or natural events. This study investigated six communities in the Commonwealth of Dominica, all part of a seven-year community tourism program, and examined residents' perceptions of the social, institutional, economic and ecological resilience of their community, and therefore the resilience and sustainability of community tourism development. It used a new scale using eight steps suggested by Devellis' scale development methodology. Data indicated moderate to low resilience in all four domains across the communities. This suggests that communities should invest in strengthening social bonds, developing capacity in local institutions, in diversifying the tourism product and controlling infrastructure development. Indicators measuring trust, networks, local control, flexible governance, leakage prevention and controlled infrastructure development emerged as important in assessing social–ecological resilience and sustainability.

在多米尼克国将居民社会生态弹性的意见联系到以社区为基础的旅游发展的可持续性

尽管在加勒比地区花了几百万美金投资在发展社区为基础的旅游活动来多样化经济，减少贫穷和改善生活质量，却很少的知识涉及对何种条件能导致旅游业为生的社区的弹性和可持续性。弹性理论看法中的可持续性代表资源使用的已有系统，能在不引起社会和自然资源基础下降的同时坚持下去。采用活动来提升弹性和可持续性改善了一个系统的能力包括坚持，适应和学习迎接由预料之外的事件例如股市崩塌，政治动荡或者自然灾害引起的挑战。该研究调查了居民对他们社区的经济，生态，机构性和经济弹性的看法，并且在社区旅游发展的弹性和可持续性的延伸基础上，使用一个被DeVellis提倡的步骤下发展出来的新标准。数据显示在六大社区里四大领域中从中到低的弹性。该结论建议这些社区将需要在旅游产品多样化，提升商业培训，保护自然资源，和发展当地机构的容量上投资，否则他们可能会在面临预料之外的变化时不能够可持续化。

Keywords:

• resilience
• sustainable tourism
• resident attitudes
• community development
• Dominica

关键词:

• 弹性
• 可持续性旅游
• 居民态度
• 社区发展
• 多米尼克

Notes

¹Because each rural community was very similar to other Dominican communities especially regarding their economic, social, environmental, and institutional context, which limited the variability of responses, in future work we recommend using the full instrument to validate and more fully test the final structure of the scales.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patrick Joseph Holladay

Patrick J. Holladay has a BS degree in aquaculture, fisheries and wildlife biology from Clemson University, an MS degree in biological sciences from Eastern Kentucky University and a PhD in parks, recreation & tourism management from Clemson University, USA. His primary research is in tourism, parks, conservation area and recreation management, focusing on sustainability science with a holistic approach across social, ecological, economic, and institutional domains of social-ecological systems.

Robert Baxter Powell

Robert B. Powell has a BA degree in environmental studies from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and MSc and PhD degrees from Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His research focuses on international park and protected area planning and management with an emphasis on tourism/recreation and biodiversity conservation. He has conducted research or worked professionally in over 40 countries including Antarctica. Prior to returning to academic life, he was an outdoor educator, adventure travel manager and guide for 20 years.