ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the nexus between Caribbean tourism and development, in terms of what needs to be considered as a progressive agenda of government and private sector activities. It chapter reviews the controversy concerning the relationship between tourism and development, as well as the industry's costs and benefits. The chapter also presents a futurist brief on the promise and prospects of 'new tourism', with its emphasis on low-density and small-scale styles. Tourism is overwhelmingly a private sector activity in the Caribbean, and only a few governments Aruba and Curacao, the Bahamas and Grenad, have seriously attempted to control their tourist industry. Ethnic tourism aimed to attract North American minorities such as African, or second and third generation expatriates and 'native daughters', also has the potential to attract a more sensitive and sensitized tourist to the Caribbean. The seasonality of tourism affects unemployment rates, creating fluctuations that are difficult to accommodate by temporary absorption into other less seasonal sectors.
