The ecotourism industry in the Caribbean : a value chain analysis

Abstract

CARIFORUM countries have identified a number of priority industries and niche sectors that span manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and other service sectors, which are viewed as having strong potential to contribute to economic growth and development. However, these sectors face a number of challenges to realize their potential, including limited markets, low labor productivity and inadequate skills for market demand, high energy and transportation costs, and high levels of debt. In order to overcome challenges to private sector growth, best practice suggests that analyzing the environment for private sector development and identifying specific barriers to growth are critical steps toward making these sectors more competitive regionally and globally. This project aims to make a contribution in this regard via the use of a value chain methodology. The industry selected for this project was the ecotourism industry, and it was studied in the context of four countries: The Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana. The ecotourism value chain was analyzed. Challenges to the development of the ecotourism industry were identified in the selected countries, and a roadmap was proposed.