Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados

Abstract

Tourism in many small island developing states is vulnerable to potential impacts of climate change. Policies related to climate change and tourism depend on value-driven decisions made in the context of uncertainty and complex socioeconomic, cultural, and political relationships. Debates on policies for climate change and tourism are influenced by varied individual and group responses. This article examines the views of policy makers and tourism managers in Barbados on potential climate change impacts on the island’s tourism industry, and their preferred policies in response to them. Many considered it very likely there will be damage to coastal tourism facilities, beach changes, and adverse effects on marine ecosystems. Both groups saw increasing public awareness as the most appropriate policy response. Tourism managers were less inclined to regard policy responses as very appropriate, perhaps being more cautious about policy interventions. Future research directions for “postnormal science” related to this topic are also identified.