Carrying capacity study aimed at maintaining a balanced approach to tourism development in Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) has launched a tourism carrying capacity study aimed at balancing the interests of visitors and residents, as tourism continues to grow at a steady
Tourism is the mainstay of economic activity in Turks and Caicos Islands and a major source of the country’s employment.
A government press release said the study will identify current and future potential issues, including opportunities and threats regarding tourism development within TCI. It will allow TCIG to appropriately allocate resources to ensure the greatest possible benefit. It will ensure a balanced approach to the quality of life for the community and the delivery of satisfaction for visitors.
In commissioning the study, TCIG is aiming to reduce the likelihood of irreversible damage to the destination by the saturation of production, a perilous situation which some destinations are already facing.
Minister of Tourism, Josephine Connolly stated: “When the population of visitors and residents exceeds a destination’s carrying capacity, the quality of life will decline and so will the quality of the visitor experience. We cannot afford to have that happen here.”
“Creating a carrying capacity study and developing an effective model, is a concept which forward-thinking destinations tackle seriously before over-capacity becomes an issue.”
The TCI carrying capacity study will examine current pressures in the entire tourism industry and will act as a benchmark in reviewing the implications of growing tourism numbers, while setting, monitoring and maintaining industry standards. In addition, a Carrying Capacity Model for TCI will be designed in line with UN Development Goals and all its sustainable indicators.
At the core of the study is stakeholder engagement. TCIG has appointed a Carrying Capacity Advisory Committee of stakeholders from a cross-section of the economy who are advisingon key areas of the work, including:
1. Infrastructural Carrying Capacity: Assessing the maximum population that TCI can support, based on the destination’s roads, availability of housing, water supply, waste management, sewage treatment, electricity, medical facilities, law enforcement and security systems.
2. Socio-cultural Carrying Capacity: Evaluating the impact on social systems, labour supply, local traditions and customs, and the quality of life of residents.
3. Environmental Carrying Capacity: Evaluating the impact of tourism on the natural environment, including coastal resources, ecosystems and wildlife.
4. Economic Carrying Capacity: Assessing the impact of tourism on TCI’s economy, including the distribution of costs and benefits, the sustainability of the tourism sector, and the resilience of the local economy to changes in the source markets.
In addition to the Carrying Capacity Advisory Committee, engagement has been sought with other stakeholders and with the general public, so that every Turks and Caicos resident will have an opportunity to view the objectives of the study, complete a questionnaire, and see their input reflected in the final carrying capacity model.
To conduct the carrying capacity study, TCIG tendered and contracted the services of Target Euro Srl, a team of local and international tourism consultants reporting to the Ministry of Tourism.
The consultants’ team includes specialists trained in tourism economics and statistics, carrying capacity studies, sustainable tourism development and product development, climate change, environmental issues and anthropology, tourism administration and logistics.
Ultimately, a carrying capacity model, which will be developed from the study, will define the acceptable levels of development with a view to maintaining sustainability. The model will establish development thresholds and make recommendations on sustainable tourism development specific to the needs of Turks and Caicos Islands.
