Within
current discussions on sustainable tourism development,
small tourism enterprises are often regarded as one
of the vehicles through which positive economic benefits
can be spread within destinations. However, omitted
from these discussions is that many small tourism
enterprises operate within a peripheral or developing
country context which may often limit their ability
to impact upon the larger economy and society. Against
this background, this paper examines the extent to
which small tourism enterprises in the island of Tobago
contribute to economic sustainability. By employing
indicators of sustainable tourism relevant to small
tourism enterprises within a survey, the data shows
that small tourism enterprises’ contribution
to economic sustainability varies between poor and
moderate. Drawing on qualitative data also, it is
suggested that inter alia the peripheral position
of Tobago, and indeed small tourism enterprises within
the twin-island republic as well as the larger global
economy militates against these entities’ potential
to make a more significant economic contribution. |
