Considering the potential for social, environmental and economic gains

There is need for a clear understanding of the relationship between local communities and tourism and how this might be improved through their involvement in community-based tourism.

Before proceeding further it is necessary to understand the composition of the term “community” which too has many meanings.

“…the notion of a community is always something of a myth. A community implies a coherent entity with a clear identity and a commonality of purpose. The reality is that communities, more often than not, are made up of an agglomeration of factions and interest groups often locked in competitive relationships.”( Joppe, 1996)

The communities on the South Coast of Jamaica are no different from the above description. These characteristics are common to all communities. Therefore, understanding their composition and leadership structures, loose they made be, is very important for working successful with them.

The objectives of community-based tourism products are to:

• Create an awareness of commonality (ies) within a community as a basis of cooperation.
• Encourage the community itself to be more directly involved in tourism, entrepreneurship, conservation and development of self.
• Provide sustainable forms of livelihood for the community.
• Generate goodwill towards, and derive benefit from, the application of conservation measures such as in protected areas.

The gains to be derived from community-based tourism are many and varied but must be identified for each area against the backdrop of the social, environmental and economic context of that specific area. Some of the concerns that are likely to arise are:

• How does this idea, concept, project fit with the role of tourism at a national level?
• Is the idea, concept or product owned by the community or someone from outside the community? If so, how well benefits from the products accrue to the community?
• What form will community participation take?
• Is community participation expected to be simple or complex?
• What tourism activities are associated with this community?
• How can interested community members participate in this tourism activity?
• Who is involved in these tourism projects?
• Are there potential options for participation in future tourism projects?
• If so, what form will this participation take?
• What mechanisms will be created to ensure the free flow of information about the community-based tourism project to the community?
• What mechanisms can be put in place to facilitate equity in participation?

In addition to these general participator concerns there are also some tourism specific issues that require consideration: These are:

• Does the community want tourism?
• If so, what type of tourism do they want and what form should it take?
• Is the community ready for tourism development?
• What level of knowledge about tourism resides in this community?
• What types of incentives are needed to change attitudes and actions in order to achieve varying levels of participation?
• What additional problems might tourism bring to the community?
• Are there other types of products that could offer options to the community other than tourism?

Community-based tourism can support a positive attitude towards self-development, environmental stewardship and capacity building within the society. Consideration of these issues at the outset should yield not only a decision about whether to proceed with a community-based tourism project but it should also provide a basis on which to begin the process of developing the project.

It is important to be able to measure results in any project. The need for measurement in community-based projects is even more critical. In Jamaica, tourism faces many challenges not the least of which comes from its own people. Tourism is seen by many Jamaicans as something that takes resources that could be used to improve their living conditions and uses these resources to improve facilities for “foreigners.” Over the years, even the agencies that are responsible for tourism have had to face stiff competition for resources from other agencies. Community-based tourism can provide the basis on which empirical evidence can be captured thereby providing a basis for equitable distribution of resources. Empirical evidence that shows the cross-sectoral linkages with tourism as well as the improvements in living conditions gained from community-based tourism development will assist the Ministry of Finance to distribute resources more equitably among agencies. Therefore, thought should be given to the types of indicators and targets necessary to realize gains in social, environmental and economic terms. The indicators used in the United Nations Human Development Index should be considered a reasonable starting point.

PIOJ document - Guidelines for South Coast Project -
prepared by Carolyn Hayle