The Caribbean blue tourism initiative

About the Project

This project focuses on helping the tourism-based businesses that operate in and around Caribbean coastlines and marine areas as well as the sub-sectors that support them (blue tourism sector stakeholders) to improve their practices as well as identify new opportunities in the industry. It also targets governments and local and regional oversight bodies with a view to improving governance related to the sector, to ultimately contribute to sustainable, inclusive and resilient development and address the associated environmental, socio-cultural and economic challenges, thereby bringing the regional sector in line with the worldwide 2030 Agenda. This is part of the global Blue Tourism Initiative which is co-funded by the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and supported by Our Blue Future (GIZ), the World Bank, UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the project partners: IDDRI, eco-union, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, CANARI and CORDIO.

 

How will this project benefit the Caribbean region?

• By supporting and promoting stronger blue tourism governance throughout the region

• By identifying more sustainable development opportunities

• By increasing the capacity of regional stakeholders to engage in sustainable blue tourism; and

• By increasing knowledge exchange between blue tourism operators in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean and West Indian Ocean regions.

 

What activities are we undertaking to achieve this?

1. A diagnosis of the regional blue tourism sector

The regional diagnosis provides a state of play of coastal and maritime tourism in the Caribbean. It:

• Details the main characteristics of the blue tourism sector in the region, such as market evolution of the sector and key stakeholders

• Reviews the legal and institutional framework governing the blue tourism sector in the region, at both national and regional levels

• Assesses the impacts of COVID-19 on regional tourism and the challenges and opportunities arising, towards a more sustainable blue tourism sector; and,

• Analyses the relationship between tourism and conservation of natural areas.

 

2. Facilitation of sustainable blue tourism pilot projects

The Blue Tourism Initiative is supporting four pilot initiatives:

• Trinidad and Tobago – the Nariva Swamp, Trinidad: “Implementation of concrete sustainable blue tourism solutions with local stakeholders.”

• Trinidad and Tobago – Southwest Tobago: “Development and promotion of sustainable tourism with civil society and private sector stakeholders”

• Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) project sites in Saint Lucia and St Vincent: “Development of a sustainable tourism strategy with local communities.”

 

In each pilot site, CANARI and local stakeholders are:

• Analysing the site’s characteristics and evaluating its current state of blue tourism, impacts, challenges and opportunities

• Developing a strategy and a roadmap with the local stakeholders

• Identifying and providing seed financing for exemplary blue tourism initiatives that address local issues to promote sustainable blue tourism, either directly or through a call for projects.

 

3. Fostering regional cooperation

Regional organisations, especially regional seas conventions, play a key role in the governance of coastal and marine tourism. As part of the Blue Tourism Initiative, CANARI is working with these stakeholders to ensure that sustainable tourism-related challenges are included in the regional discussions (e.g. through dedicated events, reports, white papers, regional roadmaps). Inter-regional exchanges are being organised to share best practices and discuss opportunities and challenges.

 

What have we achieved so far?

• Research completed to document key findings and policy recommendations for community-based coastal and marine tourism in the Caribbean:

1. 1. Report – Towards Sustainable Blue Tourism in the Caribbean: Policy Pathways to Support Community-Based Coastal and Marine Tourism (August 2024)
   2. Policy Note – Towards Sustainable Blue Tourism in the Caribbean: Policy Pathways to Support Community-Based Coastal and Marine Tourism (May 2024)

• “Your Tobago” website developed and launched by the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association to promote local enterprises.

 

Project news

• ‘Tobago tourism sector gets support for post-COVID Recovery’ (press release – Oct. 2023)
• Newsday – Tobago tourism sector gets online support
• Guardian – Tobago tourism sector gets support for post-COVID

 

Project-related communications

• Global report – Towards Sustainable Blue Tourism: Trends, Challenges and Policy Pathways
• Unlocking Community Based Blue Tourism in the Caribbean: Trends, Challenges, and Policy Pathways – Report of side event at the 4th International Conference of Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), May 2024, hosted by CANARI.

 

More information about this project 

• Download the Caribbean Blue Tourism Initiative project summary
• Contact Dylis McDonald, Senior Technical Officer, at dylis@canari.org

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