ABSTRACT
The Cittàslow philosophy aims to preserve the unique characteristics of places, people, products, food and the environment. Inclusive participation is the focus of the movement for small communities that aim to improve residents’ quality of life and share in one of a kind experiences with visitors. Discussion of the Cittàslow movement has been increasing in recent years, and the conceptualization offered in this paper adds to that discourse by showing how the movement, with its unique approach to sustainability and local governance, has the potential to be beneficial to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by directly and indirectly contributing to sustainable tourism development. Slow Food, Slow Tourism, and sustainability in relation to tourism are discussed to clarify how they all fit into the slow tourism ethos and influence the Cittàslow movement. Interestingly, by examining some of the essentials of the Cittàslow movement, we can ascertain how the quality of life and experience value of tourism complements the Cittàslow approach to sustainable tourism development for SIDS. Sustainability from an island perspective is conceptualized in the context of the Cittàslow model, and the varying elements that are contributors to sustainable tourism development in SIDS are discussed. These include its marketing potential, environmental and agricultural benefits, as well as the definitive socio-economic advances that may come about from implementing such an initiative. Ultimately, our analysis illustrates the SIDS specific impacts that the strategies of the Cittàslow model facilitate, while it also highlights some of the potential barriers to SIDS seamlessly adopting such a concept.
