CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM EVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC.docVIP

TOURISMOS: AN INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF TOURISM Volume 6, Number 2, Autumn 2011, pp. 241-262 UDC: 338.48+640(050) CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM EVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC Charlie Panakera1 The University of Waikato Management School Greg Willson Macau Institute of Tourism Chris Ryan The University of Waikato Management School Ge Liu The University of Waikato Management School Nations of the South Pacific face a number of major challenges with respect to sustainable tourism development. Much of the literature presents overtly pessimistic conceptualisations of South Pacific nations as environmentally vulnerable and economically dependent. This paper argues that the narrative concerning sustainable tourism development in the South Pacific is incomplete and the predominant narrative viewing the South Pacific nations as economically and environmentally vulnerable is too simplistic. Additionally, this paper challenges the narrative that high or mass levels of tourism within the South Pacific cannot be sustainable. Based on experience derived from operational experience and consultancy, this paper provides insights into the challenges and possibilities for sustainable tourism development in the South Pacific. Keywords: Pacific, sustainable tourism, strengths, challenges JEL Classification: L83, M1, O1 INTRODUCTION Much of the literature concerning small island states and sustainable tourism development is written by Western scholars who take a pessimistic or ?fatalistic? position (Campling, 2006). The principal narrative of many articles is that developing nations are blighted by ? University of the Aegean. Print ISSN: 1790-8418, Online ISSN: 1792-6521 241  Charlie Panakera, Greg Willson, Chris Rya