Tourism and sustainable developments in Grenada, W.I. : towards a mode of analysis

This thesis focuses on presenting a theoretical and methodological framework that can be used to better understand the ability of different forms of tourism development to meet this key objective of sustainable development. I begin with a presentation of past attempts to grapple with the links that exist between tourism and the development process. It is shown that the theoretical approaches which dominated the tourism literature in the late 1970s and 1980s are unable to cope with the rapid changes occurring in the industry. In particular, these theories struggle to acknowledge and explain the growth of alternative forms of tourism. I then turn to new theoretical approaches epitomized by the work of Aulianna Poon. I argue that these new political economy approaches offer the best (though still far from perfect) way to understand the rise of alternative tourism and the complex interaction of global and local forces that characterize most forms of tourism development.In its empirical analysis of Grenada's tourism industry, the thesis focuses on market demand, economic impacts and environmental issues. The results reveal that visitors to Grenada can be divided into three separate and distinct market segments: (i) rest and relaxation; (ii) active-water based; and (iii) new-age, soft-adventure types. While the vast majority of visitors come to Grenada for an active water-oriented vacation, the fastest growing segment is the soft-adventurers. The economic impact study shows that only about 29 cents in every dollar spent by the "average" tourists became direct local income in 1992. However, it is clear that tourist using medium-sized or small hotel accommodation consistently generate higher direct levels of income than those using other accommodation types.This thesis introduces a mixture of innovative and more traditional techniques to analyze the sustainability of different forms of tourism development. The integrated approach also incorporates a Discrete Choice Experiment (market analysis) and then uses Arc/Info GIS to study water demand and pollution issues associated with different forms of tourism development in the Grand Anse beach area. Consistent with the results of the market segmentation analysis, the results of the discrete choice experiment further highlight the importance of the beach-front accommodation located within a semi-isolated setting. The results of the water impact assessment suggest that tourists demand twice as much domestic water per person/day as the local residents.In conclusion, I discuss the applicability of my theoretical approach and examine the implications of the findings for Grenada's tourism development. It is clear that most tourism theory cannot adequately explain the shifts toward 'non-traditional' forms of tourism development. Since the empirical results indicate that this type of tourism development is best suited to Grenada's needs, it is important to seek alternative theoretical explanations. The empirical analysis reveals that traditional mass tourism development is likely to be the most environmentally damaging and economically disadvantageous tourism option to pursue on the island. The results show that low density, high quality accommodation is both in demand by tourists and is also associated with greater economic linkages and potentially less environmental damage. I conclude with a series of recommendations regarding the island's future tourism development efforts. (Abstract shortened by UMI.