ABSTRACT
The chapter focuses in particular on youth and youth engagement in tourism as a livelihood option and factors that enable or hinder youth access to the opportunities and benefits provided by tourism. Potential benefits of tourism include economic diversity from tax revenues, culture and entertainment, outdoor recreation, and employment and livelihood opportunities. Coastal zones and tropical islands of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are some of the most popular tourism destinations, and tourism in coastal and marine areas is experiencing an ongoing trend of rapid expansion and increased popularity. SIDS are increasingly concerned about byproducts of poverty, such as domestic violence and youth suicide. Youth in Dominican communities are bound by the complex interactions of industry, technology, markets, policy and culture. The changing livelihood expectations of youth in Dominica show how youth perceptions can help scholars understand changing livelihood, urbanisation and poverty trends as a geographic process, and one that is often uneven.
