Small Island Developing States (SIDS) still face numerous challenges with regard to sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods for their current population as well as future generations.
As one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, tourism has in recent years become one of the key economic factors for many SIDS. However, tourism is associated with various risks for these states' fragile ecosystems. In addition, the size and geographical situation of many SIDS confronts them with vulnerabilities that limit their competitiveness in the tourism industry. In light of these challenges, there is a need for well-formulated policies, regulations and standards in the tourism sector. Here, policymakers play a key role in fostering the transition towards sustainable tourism.
The project therefore focuses on the following aspects:
- Offering an interdisciplinary perspective on sustainable tourism as well as related policies, regulations and standards found in Small Island Developing States
- Introducing participants to a broad spectrum of tourism and policy-related topics – for example, sustainable tourism strategies and measures, as well as policies, initiatives and programmes
- Inviting participants to discuss and share ideas, opinions and knowledge with learners from all over the world
- Inspiring participants to develop a small solution for promoting sustainable tourism in SIDS
Although everyone is welcome to join, this course has been designed for a specific audience: policymakers at the strategic and operative levels who seek to better grasp the interdisciplinarity of the topic and who want to gain further insights on existing policy frameworks, appropriate technologies and best practices from islands. The course is also suitable for 'public officials of tomorrow', i.e. Master's students from related disciplines (e.g. policy or development economics), as well as NGOs working in the tourism sector.
