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Contributions to sustainable tourism in small islands: Analysis of the Cittaslow movement
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Contributions to sustainable tourism in small islands: Analysis of the Cittaslow movement

Therez B Walker and Timothy J Lee
Tourism Geographies, Vol.23(3), pp.415-435
2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2019.1654539
url
https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2019.1654539View
Published Version

Abstract

sustainable tourism small islands quality of life tourism impact Cittaslow
The Cittaslow philosophy aims to preserve the unique characteristics of places, people, products, food and the environment. Inclusive participation is the focus of the movement for small communities that aim to improve residents' quality of life and share in one of a kind experiences with visitors. Discussion of the Cittaslow movement has been increasing in recent years, and the conceptualization offered in this paper adds to that discourse by showing how the movement, with its unique approach to sustainability and local governance, has the potential to be beneficial to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by directly and indirectly contributing to sustainable tourism development. Slow Food, Slow Tourism, and sustainability in relation to tourism are discussed to clarify how they all fit into the slow tourism ethos and influence the Cittaslow movement. Interestingly, by examining some of the essentials of the Cittaslow movement, we can ascertain how the quality of life and experience value of tourism complements the Cittaslow approach to sustainable tourism development for SIDS. Sustainability from an island perspective is conceptualized in the context of the Cittaslow model, and the varying elements that are contributors to sustainable tourism development in SIDS are discussed. These include its marketing potential, environmental and agricultural benefits, as well as the definitive socio-economic advances that may come about from implementing such an initiative. Ultimately, our analysis illustrates the SIDS specific impacts that the strategies of the Cittaslow model facilitate, while it also highlights some of the potential barriers to SIDS seamlessly adopting such a concept.

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Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism

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#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

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