Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy

Praptiwi, Radisti A.; Maharja, Carya; Fortnam, Matt; Chaigneau, Tomas; Evans, Louisa; Garniati, Leuserina; Sugardjito, Jito

doi:10.3390/su13126655

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Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy

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Centre for Sustainable Energy and Resources Management, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia

Department of Biotechnology, Universitas Esa Unggul, Jakarta 11510, Indonesia

Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK

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Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK

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International Centre for Island Technology, Heriot Watt University, Stromness KW16 3AW, UK

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Aquatera Ltd., Old Academy Business Centre, Stromness KW16 3AW, UK

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Lóránt Dénes Dávid, Colin Michael Hall and Tanja Mihalic

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6655; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126655

Received: 24 May 2021 / Revised: 5 June 2021 / Accepted: 6 June 2021 / Published: 11 June 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Development)

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Abstract

Tourism development has been promoted as an alternative livelihood to reduce the dependence of small island communities on declining marine resources. It is often central to emerging agendas around marine planning and the blue economy. However, relatively little is known about how communities perceive tourism development as an alternative and potentially sustainable livelihood in their area and its implications. This qualitative study tracks a governance system in transition and analyzes the factors perceived by stakeholders to be driving and hindering the adoption of tourism-based livelihoods on small islands in UNESCO’s Taka Bonerate Kepulauan Selayar Biosphere Reserve (Indonesia). The findings indicate that, despite a series of tourism-enhancing investments and initiatives and the positive attitudes of local communities towards it, tourism is not a direct route towards sustainability for small island communities. The benefits of tourism are perceived to be unequally distributed. The lack of education and skills limits participation in new job opportunities, and the incentives to continue destructive fishing inhibits livelihood transition to tourism. The article concludes that tourism cannot be assumed to generate simultaneous benefits for conservation and development without more equitable benefit sharing, the meeting of basic needs in communities, and addressing the drivers of unsustainable livelihoods. View Full-Text

Keywords: sustainable livelihoods; eco-tourism; alternative livelihoods; conservation development; marine planning; blue economy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Praptiwi, R.A.; Maharja, C.; Fortnam, M.; Chaigneau, T.; Evans, L.; Garniati, L.; Sugardjito, J. Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126655

AMA Style

Praptiwi RA, Maharja C, Fortnam M, Chaigneau T, Evans L, Garniati L, Sugardjito J. Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy. Sustainability. 2021; 13(12):6655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126655

Chicago/Turabian Style

Praptiwi, Radisti A., Carya Maharja, Matt Fortnam, Tomas Chaigneau, Louisa Evans, Leuserina Garniati, and Jito Sugardjito. 2021. "Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy" Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6655. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126655

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Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy

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