We are in the second month of 2021, and we continue our battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism industry globally, and in The Bahamas, continues to reinvent and restrategize to get back to some form of normalcy.
Nonetheless, what we should be aiming for is a better normal and not go back to the pre COVID-19 era. What then, should be the focus for the country? Over the past few months, I have discussed my thoughts on the changes that are shaping the future of the tourism industry in The Bahamas. One such focus that can be regenerative in nature is rural tourism.
“Rural” or “rurality”, may have a negative (or positive) connotation in many parts of the world. In the developed world, rural can mean a positive experience in a countryside and most often refers to a high yield product; whereas in many developing countries, rural may mean “cheap”, “remote”, “under developed”, and “low yield”. Nonetheless, post COVID-19, rural tourism is taking on another dimension as tourist and visitors are exploring less dense and remote destinations that are safe. World Tourism Day 2020 that was celebrated on 27th September, with the theme, “Tourism and Rural Development”, highlighted the unique role that tourism plays in providing opportunities outside of big townships or cities and preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.
For The Bahamas, as an archipelago, rural tourism encompasses the family islands. How we would like the world to perceive our “rural” products and services will very much depend on how we can move the industry from relying on mass tourism to more niche rural tourism products like community-based tourism and ecotourism. Our main goal should be “high value, low volume”. The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in September 2020, released a guide to making tourism an effective tool for rural development. Let us look at this guide vis-à-vis, the transformation of tourism in The Bahamas, post COVID-19.
Rural development in The Bahamas
Like any country, rural destinations in The Bahamas faced many challenges even before the pandemic. They include migration of the community (depopulation) especially the youth from rural to urban townships; high percentage of the population living in ‘extreme poverty’; lower income levels; digital and technology divide; decline in traditional economic activities; lack of economic diversity; and poor to scarce infrastructure, services and transport connectivity.
As we are hopeful to come out of the current pandemic, the role of tourism in rural development is more relevant now than ever, for The Bahamas. The nature of our archipelago offers great opportunities for the recovery of our tourism industry. Post COVID-19, tourists will be more attracted to less populated destinations, that have open-air experiences and activities. Hence, the local communities must be well prepared to deal with the potential surge in the number of tourist and visitors. The current crisis is also an opportunity to introduce another dimension of tourism to The Bahamas, in addition to the more traditional “Sun, Sand and Sea” market. Rural tourism encourages interactions with the local communities in terms of culture and heritage, development of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and understanding the natural resources and ecosystems. All this will result in a more resilient tourism economy for The Bahamas.
Nonetheless, the sustainability of tourism in rural areas can only achieve its objectives if a comprehensive and inclusive planning strategy is adopted and implemented based on multi-action and multi-stakeholder participatory approach. Only then can the family islands of The Bahamas be ensured to get fair distribution of tourism’s benefits – enhancing their employability, protecting their natural and cultural heritage, promoting social inclusion, empowering local communities – particularly the women, youth and the senior citizens. Further, inclusive tourism can provide a better quality of life for all by making rural destinations more accessible for both local and visitors of different generations and diverse access needs.
The UNWTO guidelines provide five recommendations for developing rural tourism, post COVID-19. These five recommendation and their associated approach include the following:
(1) Placing tourism as a strategic pillar in policies for rural development. For The Bahamas, the government should place tourism as one of the strategic pillars of rural development policies by integrating tourism into their development plans. It is important for the government to enhance the coordination between tourism and other relevant policy areas, particularly in rural development. Further, the governance of tourism for rural development in The Bahamas, should be based on Public-Private-Community (PPC) partnerships and adopt a holistic and systemic approach by which all stakeholders are fully engaged in the design, implementation, evaluation and coordination of tourism policies and strategies for the development of rural areas.
The enabling environment in rural areas will foster investments, innovation, entrepreneurship, decent and fair working conditions, digitalization and skills. Promotions should also be done to market urban tourism destinations combined with travel to surrounding rural areas of the Family Islands in The Bahamas. Governments should also ensure adequate levels of investment in infrastructure in order to improve the well-being of rural communities and the visitor experience. Other focus initiatives include encouraging multilateral organisations to promote cross border cooperation in the region. Further, rural tourism development can also be developed by advancing the close relationship between sustainable food systems and tourism which will also diversify the economy into agriculture.
Finally, The Bahamas as a nation should work in collaboration with the international community to improve access to development and project financing to support the MSME development in rural areas. This is especially critical for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are vulnerable to extreme weather events, and other hardships due to the high cost of living.
(2) Tourism for the benefit and well-being of rural communities by building a fair, inclusive, resilient and sustainable sector. All policies for tourism and rural development in The Bahamas should place the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of rural communities at their core, paying special attention to the relationship between the people and the natural environment. Hence, it is important for the full engagement of these communities especially in the family islands in co-leading consultation processes and decision making for planning, developing and managing tourism in their rural destinations using a bottom-up approach.
The government should also provide a conducive environment for MSMEs and entrepreneurship by ensuring adequate regulatory framework that can ease financial assistance to empower these communities. Further, the government should continuously promote and facilitate the training and attraction of tourism professionals and entrepreneurs in rural areas. Guided by the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, public and private sector should ensure that tourism activities in rural areas offer decent and fair jobs, and advance accessibility across the entire tourism value chain in rural destinations.
(3) New opportunities for tourism and rural development through innovation, technology and digitalization. Policies that stimulate innovative solutions, technology and digitalization should be promoted, especially moving forward post COVID-19, to accelerate access for local tourism businesses. Rural destinations should be ensured to have the same connectivity and access to technology as urban areas, especially in comparison with Nassau. The government also should maximize the use of big data and technology to better plan, measure, manage tourism and promote evidence-based policies for tourism in rural areas in cooperation with the private sector and technology providers.
(4) Product development and value chain integration for a sustainable and enhanced travel experience. The development of tourism products and experiences in rural areas should be guided by an assessment of the strengths and opportunities of rural destinations to ensure an enabling environment in infrastructure, resources management, investments, and human capital. This development should follow a holistic and fully integrated perspective engaging all other sectors, stakeholders and socio-economic activities in the rural and tourism value chain. Hence, rural communities must be intrinsically involved in the development.
Further, the government and the private sector should promote thematic routes or trails – island connections that link different rural destinations. Collaborative joint tourism experience is the way forward in marketing trails of rural destinations in the different islands of The Bahamas that are new, authentic and unique. Hence, the government, private sector and the communities should strengthen the joint marketing and promotion of tourism in rural areas.
Awareness should also be created about the importance of rural communities and their contribution to the national economy and the preservation of cultural and natural resources to promote the domestic market. This can only happen if there is information that is in accessible formats (digitally), accurate and regularly updated information concerning the rural products, services and facilities. Finally, the issue of seasonality must also be addressed through campaigns and market diversification beyond the traditional domestic market.
(5) Fostering sustainable policies and practices in rural destinations. As per the 2030 SDG Agenda, tourism should be included as an effective means to attain rural development. The government, in collaboration with the private sector and communities, should implement the concept of ‘smart destinations’ in rural areas based on the five pillars — governance, innovation, technology, accessibility, and sustainability. Rural destinations can be used to promote the framework of green tourism by encouraging sustainable practices for more efficient use of local resources and a reduction of emissions.
Further, the natural and cultural resources can be integrated into the development of rural areas with a special emphasis on respecting local biodiversity and culture/heritage. As in the previous recommendation, the government, the private sector and communities should promote evidence-based tourism development through integrated trustworthy data and monitoring tools to measure the performance of rural areas and optimize the resources accordingly. Hence, the role of University of The Bahamas and Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) is critical to pushing the agenda of rural tourism in The Bahamas
Conclusion
For The Bahamas, tourism has been the “bread and butter” of the economy. The world in general, and The Bahamas in particular, have been provided an opportunity to diversify the industry by focusing on rural destinations – our family islands, boutique operations, and community driven activities. Post COVID-19, a rural revolution can drive sustainable recovery and prevent another similar crisis in the future. As outlined in the UWTO report, “Governments should join the ‘Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism’ (MST) initiative recognized by the UN Statistical Commission as the statistical framework with which to measure and monitor the environmental, economic and social impact of tourism at the national and subnational levels”.
Further, the UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories provides a framework for the systematic, timely and regular monitoring of resource-use and a better understanding of the impact of tourism at the local level in nine areas – seasonality; employment; economic benefits; governance; local satisfaction; energy management; water management; waste water (sewage) management; and solid waste management and accessibility. In this context, the regular monitoring of tourism’s impact on rural communities’ quality of life and satisfaction, is of particular relevance. This will be the way forward for The Bahamas.
• Dr. Vikneswaran Nair is the dean, graduate studies and research; and professor, sustainable tourism, at the University of The Bahamas.
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source https://thenassauguardian.com/rural-bahamas-a-new-focus-for-the-nation/
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