The critical relationship between large resorts and the state in developing sustainable tourism in the Caribbean : the case of the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Tourism is a growing industry. If tourism projects are sustainable, tourism can be used by developing economies as a source of economic development. However, this is not an easy goal to achieve. This project reviews, through primary and secondary sources and field research, the important relationship between large resorts and the state that affects the outcome of tourism development in the Dominican Republic. It begins by outlining the problem of unsustainable tourism and then moves on to discuss sustainable tourism. It then places the Dominican Republic into the discussion and identifies the actors involved in the development of tourism. It examines how the relationship between those actors affects sustainable tourism development in regards to the environment, the tourism sector and the community. It argues that there is little consistency in the government civil service, and problems within the relationship cannot be rectified until the government itself becomes sustainable.