By Kimani Wiseman
The Caribbean has always been a hot spot for tourists. Tourists usually visit the Caribbean to enjoy the cultural activities such as carnival. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we are blessed with Vincy Mas and during the Christmas Season we have nine mornings. During the winter season, tourists will also come to the Caribbean to enjoy the golden sunshine and there are tourists who love nature, the natural environment attract tourists to the Caribbean. The tourism dollar is very imperative in every Caribbean island because it contributes to the Gross Domestic Product. The heavy influx of tourists the Caribbean receives every year, sustainable tourism should be promoted.
Sustainable Tourism is a form of tourism that aims to minimize its environmental impact while maximizing social and economic benefits for local communities. It involves a careful balance between the needs of tourists, the environment, and local populations. The goal is to ensure that tourism can be maintained over the long term without depleting natural resources or harming cultural heritage. Accommodation is very imperative in the Caribbean for tourism. The Caribbean is turning towards the construction of five star hotels to accommodate the heavy influx of tourists. The availability of land space is a hard decision politicians have to make in the Caribbean for the construction of five star hotels. Land is important for the production of food to reduce the importation of food in the Caribbean. Land is also needed for locals to construct homes and other businesses. A striking balance is required for the usage of lands for investment, agriculture, locals to build their dream home, and the establishment of other businesses.
Some five star hotels also put a lot of pressure on resources such as water and electricity. For example, some might have golf courses that use a lot of water. Five star hotels also use a lot of electricity. To solve these two problems, the Caribbean islands should ensure that these five star hotels invest in solar panels to take some pressure off the electricity grid and to reduce their carbon foot print. These hotels can also recycle their grey water which can be reused on their golf course and to water their lawn. This will conserve water which is becoming a scarce resource in the Caribbean because of climate change. The Caribbean has sunshine all year round which usually attract a lot of tourists especially during the winter season. When these tourists come to the Caribbean and go to the various beaches a lot of sunscreens are used. Sunscreens which have Oxybenzone and Octinoxate are harmful to coral reefs. Oxybenzone and Octinoxate causes coral bleaching. Some Caribbean countries have already ban sunscreens that contains Oxybenzone and Octinoxate.
A lot of cruise ships usually dock in the Caribbean ports every year. These cruise ships should not be allowed to dump raw sewage and grey water where there are coral reefs. Raw sewage and grey water should be treated on board the cruise ships before they are dump into the ocean or they should be dump far away from coral reefs. This would help to protect coral reefs in the Caribbean. Sometimes tourists will try to smuggle animals and plants into the Caribbean. Invasive species can be predators to native species which can affect the biodiversity in the Caribbean. Having a strong border protection would alleviate invasive species being introduced in the Caribbean.
Garbage bins should be at various beaches, parks, and other hot spots where tourists usually visit. This would reduce litter in the environment and promote a clean environment. Over hunting and over fishing should be taken seriously. These can lead to the extinction of various species on land and the ocean which can affect the ecotourism in the Caribbean. For example, over hunting wildlife in the forest and fish in the ocean will affect the ecotourism. Locals should be educated about the importance of habitat protection. The protection of habitats can generate a lot of income for locals. For example, conserving the forest can increase bird watching activities which can increase the establishment of binocular businesses. It can also cause zip lines to be established in the forest which would attract tourists to view the natural beauty each Caribbean island has to offer. The Protection of coral reefs are very important. Coral reefs are the habitat for hundreds of marine animals. The crystal clear waters in the Caribbean attract a lot of tourists to dive and view the beautiful marine ecosystem. The protection of habitats will also prevent animals and plants from going extinct on land and in the ocean.
The Caribbean has a very good tourism product which can be compared to “heaven”. Without sustainable tourism, the heaven which a lot of tourists are dreaming about in the Caribbean can turn into hell. The citizens of each Caribbean island has a role to play and also regional leaders to put policies in place to ensure that their country achieve “sustainable tourism”.