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GEOSS Support for Decision-Making in the Coastal Zone: Managing and Mitigating the Impacts of Human Activities and Natural Hazards in the Coastal Zone

A workshop series organized by the GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice

Earth Observation Support for Sustainable Tourism in Small Island States
March 9-11, 2011, Puerto Rico


Resolving Current and Future Conflicts between Tourism and Ecosystems: What are the Information Needs and Gaps?

Sophia A. Rolle
Culinary and Hospitality Management Institute, The College of The Bahamas, Nassau, The Bahamas.

There are increasing concerns and challenges shaping the global landscape regarding the future of tourism, tourism development and that of sustainability of our fragile ecosystems. Several questions must be asked in the context of resolving current and future conflicts between the two. Questions such as what are the major ecosystems presently utilized by tourism? What are the information needs and gaps that are expected to inform policy decisions into the future? What are the results of this Gap Analysis? What are the major concerns for tourism destinations within the Caribbean and what are some key resolutions to these concerns and challenges? This brief presentation will answer these five major questions utilizing The Bahamas as its case model for Tourism and Ecosystems Management.

The Government of The Bahamas (GOB) as long recognized that a healthy and safe environment, reflected in its biological diversity and functioning ecosystems, crystal clear waters, clean air and productive soils are essential ingredients to the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is also critical to sustaining the country’s number one industry of tourism in all of its many forms. To that end, the GOB envisioned a Bahamas in which all people and institutions treasure its unique natural environment and voluntarily choose to act in a manner that contributes to its conservation, protection and enhancement. One of the fundamental objectives being that of a healthy and safe environment that is essential to sustaining the quality of life for present and future generations of its people. (BEST Commission, 2005)

The major Ecosystems of The Bahamas - Coral Reefs, Seashore, Rock Seashore, Whiteland Coppice, Blackland Coppice and the Pine Forrest. Covered in this presentation will be a briefing on the key steps to an Ecological Gap Analysis as proposed by the Convention on Biodiversity's Program of Work through the Nature Conservancy, that involved a comparative analysis of the distribution of biodiversity against the distribution of protected areas and finding where species and ecosystems are left unprotected or under protected. Major concerns through Tourism lens, such as continued support for its major ‘bread basket’ industries like fishing and how this industry will be protected while maintaining the integrity of the island that services both citizen and visitor will be explored. Do the answers lie in education of the masses?


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