Sustainability and Resilience in Caribbean Tourism Economies: A Critical Inquiry

Abstract

Despite the growth of tourism in the Caribbean, sustainable tourism studies of island societies remain fragmented and inconsistent. In this article, we provide a critical inquiry into sustainability and resilience in small island tourism economies in the Caribbean from an emic perspective, contending that current models are incompatible with understanding sustainable tourism in small island economies, let alone guiding scholars and policymakers in pursuit of strengthening resilience. We question the scientific status quo emphasizing linear modeling and steady state economics and call for a critical reconsideration of adaptation and resilience within small island economies.