Sustainable development for small island tourism: developing slow tourism in the Caribbean

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to (a) analyze the diverse views held about slow tourism in the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, and (b) to propose a conceptual basis for slow tourism as a beneficial component of sustainable development. Using evidence from stakeholder interviews, this paper illustrates how local businesses, products, and the dynamic nature of the tourism industry can be provided with opportunities to propel a regions’ sustainability. The results of the study can contribute to the development agendas of many small islands, as they show how to establish effective development policy, management systems, and marketing strategies for sustainable tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Slow tourism
• sustainable tourism
• destination marketing strategy
• small islands
• stakeholder cooperation
• Caribbean

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.