Sustainable tourism can be an effective tool for employment creation and poverty reduction in small island developing states (SIDS) by providing financial and economic benefits from tourism activities in protected areas when revenue is equitably shared. For tourism to be sustainable, destination management must consider impacts on biodiversity, community empowerment through benefits incorporation and sensitization, as well as employment and training opportunities in a bottom-up approach.

1. Sustainable Tourism as a Tool for Employment
and Reducing Poverty in SIDS
Marion Etienne
Master in Sustainable
Tourism management
University of Seychelles

2. Conference on
SIDS
Lessons
learned for
Seychelles?
Financial and economic benefits
of tourism in protected areas
Equity in revenue sharing - Better
ownership of protected areas
Sustainable destination
management
Reward good practices as local
champions but how? Need for
survey/awareness campaign
amongst operators
Impacts on biodiversity of
protected area tourism
Visitor citizen to be
extended
Tourism concessions and
partnerships
from financial incentives to
economic prospective /
transparency
Community-benefits
Incorporation/
Empowerment - Transform
the visit into an experience
Sensitization and Awareness of
both visitors and residents
Change the vision -
Sustainability is not only about
environment
Employment and Training
in Sustainable Tourism
Bottom up preferred to
Top down