Tourism Education and Local Employment as Factors Contributing to the Sustainable Development of Tourism in SIDS: The Case of the Maldives

Due to the numerous developmental constraints that they face, often Small Island Developing States (SIDS) relies on tourism as the means by which to achieve development. As such, SIDS governments promote sustainable tourism in policy agendas on the grounds that it will enhance the lives of local people through the creation of employment and subsequent increase in income level. However, often in SIDS, sustainable tourism development largely focuses on the management of resources and the impacts associated with tourism development. In this regard the focus on tourism development has remained on developing the necessary infrastructure for attracting international tourist markets, neglecting the crucial components of tourism education and local employment. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the role of tourism education and local employment as factors contributing to the sustainable development of tourism in the context of a SIDS destination. The context of the Maldives was selected as the SIDS case. This research indicated that in aggressive pursuit of increasing the number of international arrivals and with an ‘expansionist’ attitude, the SIDS case under study has neglected the crucial aspects of tourism education and local employment as contributors to the sustainable development of tourism. Consequently, tourism education neither meets the local needs for employment nor the industry needs for a skilled and educated workforce. The research revealed that this is an outcome of insufficient attention being given at policy level to tourism education, and local employment. Indeed, the research revealed that an increase in the number of international tourist arrivals and subsequent increase in foreign exchange earnings does not necessary mean that tourism brings economic sustainability to the destination by providing employment opportunities to the local communities and increased income. The research further revealed the complexity of issues which affect local participation in tourism. Moreover, the research also indicated how sustainable tourism development is intrinsically linked to tourism education and local employment. As the SIDS governments have a catalytic role to play in ensuring that tourism is developed in a sustainable manner that benefits all stakeholders, instead of implementing piecemeal policies in tourism education and local employment, this study advocates the integration of tourism education and local employment policies as part of the broader national development plan. This thesis contributes to tourism policy and practice. From a theoretical perspective, this research adds to the body of knowledge relating to the study of sustainable development of tourism in the context of a SIDS destination. Further, this research presents a number of practical recommendations for the government and the industry to ensure that tourism is indeed developed on a sustainable manner that benefits all stakeholders

Tourism and hospitality education : The panacea for sustainable tourism development in the Maldives?

The concept of sustainable tourism has been advocated as a means of maximising tourism’s benefits while minimising some of the negative impacts associated with tourism development. Education is crucial in responding to the broader issues within tourism development that affect the wider society (Lewis, 2006). However, in many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the focus of sustainable tourism development usually only extends to tourism policy, planning and infrastructural development, and in many cases, tourism and hospitality education is either ignored or is not given sufficient emphasis at the policy level. The extent to which education is incorporated at the tourism policy and planning stage could be crucial in achieving sustainable development outcomes, as well as improving the overall human development status of many SIDS. This paper explores the development of tourism and hospitality education in the Maldives highlighting the sustainable development issues facing the educators, government, the tourism industry, and local residents

The Maldives : Parallel paths of conventional and alternative tourism

Introduction Due to natural resource limitations, island destination planners often direct attention to tourism as an engine for development, with many embracing the industry as an “economic miracle” capitalising on ample endowments of sun, sea and sand (Ioannides 2000; Nowak et al. 2007). This may create hyper-dependency, whereby traditional industries such as shing or agricultural monocultures are replaced by tourism. Government pro-growth proclivities and investment in tourism, however, are based on the assumptions that this sector will mitigate the numerous development constraints they face (Wilkinson 1989). Indeed, tourism in island destinations is usually seen as a convenient and expeditious means for generating employment and foreign exchange earnings

'Managed evils' of hedonistic tourism in the Maldives : Islamic social representations and their mediation of local social exchange

This paper explores resident attitudes toward tourism development in the Maldives. Findings from 50 semi-structured interviews and 200 household surveys collected in two island communities provide insights into the reconciliation of deeply held Islamic social representations with proximate hedonistic tourism. In the less tourism-affiliated island, religious affinity and social exchange were central as to how residents viewed tourism as an ‘evil’ from which their community should be insulated. In the more tourism-affiliated case, social exchange and social representations influenced how tourism is rationalised as a ‘managed evil’.</p

The Exploratory Social-Mediatized Gaze : Reactions of Virtual Tourists to an Inflammatory YouTube Incident

Social media are revolutionizing the way that destinations are being portrayed and perceived, yet remain underresearched in tourism. Netnographic analysis of 7,187 international comments on a YouTube video depicting an antitourist incident in the Maldives revealed two opposing social representations of the social-mediatized gaze. The first is hegemonic and tolerant, and indicative of resolution-based dialectics. The second is polemical and intolerant, and indicative of conflict-based dialectics, replete with anti-Islamic rhetoric. Social media, because of the interplay of proximity to and distance from the relevant inflammatory visual stimuli, attracts and amplifies the latter social representation and suppresses the former. However, because of viewer attention ephemerality, associated projections of power in the comments may not have a lasting negative impact on the destination.</p

Responding to climate change: Australian tourism industry perspectives on current challenges and future directions

Like other destinations in the Asia Pacific region, Australia's tourism industry is vulnerable to the impacts and implications of climate change. The country's reliance on its natural "product", which is potentially under threat, coupled with the potential for changing consumer demand patterns, particularly in long-haul markets, should be concerning for the tourism industry. Yet, the tourism industry has been criticised for its short-term, profit orientation and lack of action regarding climate change [Hall, C.M., & Higham, J. (Eds.) (2005). Tourism, recreation and climate change. Clevedon: Channel View Publications; Jenkins, K., & Nicholls, S. (2010). The impacts of climate variability and potential climate change on tourism business in Torbay, England and implications for adaptation. Tourism Analysis, 15(1), 17-30; Viner, D. (2006). Tourism and its interactions with climate change. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(4), 317-415]. However, little empirical research has investigated the tourism industry's perspectives regarding climate change, neither the relative importance of climate change vis-a-vis other challenges facing the sector nor the strategies and actions required by the tourism industry to facilitate adaptation and mitigation strategies. It is against this background that a qualitative study was undertaken with expert representatives from both the public and private sectors of Australia's tourism industry to explore the industry's perspectives on current challenges and future directions with regards to climate change. The findings show that while the industry is aware of the importance of climate change, it is not seen as a pressing issue, particularly in light of the global economic crisis, and there has been little action by the industry in response to climate change. Respondents noted that the tourism industry is largely relying on, and waiting for, government intervention and leadership for the sector with regards to climate change

The local gaze: Social inhibitors to engagement in the Maldivian tourism industry

Advocators of tourism development in small island developing states (SIDS) promote tourism in policy agendas on the grounds that it can enhance the lives of local people through the creation of employment and income streams. However, empirical research conducted in the Maldives, a SIDS in the Indian Ocean, highlighted an array of social, human resource, economic, institutional and religious factors that inhibit the participation of the local community in the Maldivian tourism labour market. This paper specifically examines the findings related to the social factors that were identified as: negative images of the industry; proximity to home and work; social isolation; parental influence; effect on family life while working away from home island; role of woman as mother; the lack of awareness of tourism jobs; social problems at workplace; disinterest in tourism employment; tourism industry being male dominated; and issues with safety and security at the workplace. A number of these findings are discussed, as is the role of tourism operators and the Government in addressing the social inhibitors to tourism employment in the Maldives

The Maldives: A sustainable tourism success story?

For many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) tourism has emerged as a panacea for their inherent development constraints. This is certainly the case for the Maldives which is considered by many to be an example of ‘successful’ sustainable tourism development. It is within this context that this paper chronicles some of the key activities in the development of the Maldivian tourism industry. The paper argues that while tourism has done much to improve the overall economic situation of the country, the financial returns accrued from tourism flow out of the country, and those that are kept within the Maldives are not widely distributed amongst the local population. This paper illustrates that despite tourism being promoted as a sustainable development tool, local employment and subsequent increase in income of local communities has not been fully realized. Consequently tourism in the Maldives is not as ‘successful’ or ‘sustainable’ as it is often claimed to be

Women's participation in tourism: A case from the Maldives

Women are key participants in the tourism labor market. Maldivian women are recognized as being among the most emancipated in South Asia and the Islamic world. There is no institutional discrimination along gender lines in access to education, health services, or for jobs in the public sector (The World Bank 2004). However, the proportion of women working in the Maldivian tourism industry is relatively low. This chapter explores one of the key outcomes of a broader study on the participation of locals in the Maldivian tourism industry. The role of government in balancing religion, politics, and economy is considered imperative in positively influencing local tourism labor market participation and employment for women. Copyrigh