Sun, Sand, and… Sustainability in Developing Countries from a Tourists’ Perspective. The Case of Punta Cana

Abstract

Large-scale tourism represents one of the main causes of environmental problems faced by many seaside destinations in developing countries. A survey was carried out among tourists in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, one of the most visited coastal destinations worldwide. This study explores whether the destination is meeting tourists’ demand for sustainable practices and whether the sustainable initiatives implemented, as perceived by tourists, have a role in explaining tourists’ satisfaction. An importance-performance analysis and a principal component analysis, followed by an ordered logit model, were performed. Findings show that tourists’ expectations in terms of sustainability are not adequately met and that environmental and socioeconomic sustainability are positively associated with tourists’ satisfaction.