ABSTRACT
The research in this chapter is situated in the context of Barbados, a Caribbean tourism economy, small island developing state (SIDS), and a tourist destination that remains under-researched by tourism scholars. The aim is to examine the experienced realities of tourism foreign direct investment (TFDI) impacts in a small island tourism economy. Moreover, this study critically considers TFDI impacts in the light of “real” impacts as perceived by local hotel employees, drawing on their experienced “realities”. These realities are subjective perceptions within the objective reality in peoples’ experiences. They are impacts that affect people’s realities. This focal point allows for an emphasis on personal experiences, interpretations and views on the consequences of tourism development through FDI, particularly in the context of a tourism-dependent small island economy. The study results highlight the perceptions of local hotel employees. However the results are not merely a reflection on the self-interests of local hotel employees, it also highlights the power dynamics between groups, such as foreign-owned investors and the government
