Tourism towards the well-being of Small Island Developing States: Tourism Agenda 2030

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to contrast the capacity of tourism-specialized and non-tourism-specialized systems in small developing insular societies to achieve a well-being model aligned with the Agenda 2030. Design/methodology/approach The empirical method of this work consists of a panel-corrected standard errors analysis for a total of seven Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to measure the contribution of both economic diversification and tourism specialization to well-being in the Agenda 2030 framework. Time period considered in the analysis include 2005–2019. Findings Linear and nonlinear relationships reveal the need to conjugate both tourism specialization and economic diversification in the 2030-development agendas of small developing insular societies as both represent a means to achieve a well-being model aligned with the Agenda 2030. Originality/value One of the main novelties of this work is that development is analyzed from a multidimensional point of view (standard of living, access to education and health services), as an integrated thinking that considers any tourism development model that defines a route with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 as main destination in SIDS. Specifically, practical implications are given combining recommendations to foster development and face poverty (SDG-1), while inequalities situations are reduced (SDG-10) and decent jobs are generated (SDG-8). These implications also focus on strengthening local suppliers of goods and services from other sectors to be integrated into the destination value chain (SDG-2), ensuring access to education (SDG-4) and contributing to gender equality (SDG-5).