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Visitor perspectives on sustainable tourism development in the Pitons Management Area World Heritage Site, St. Lucia

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Abstract

The Pitons Management Area (PMA) World Heritage Site is one of the most visited tourist attractions in St. Lucia. Given the magnitude of the tourism industry in St. Lucia in general, coupled with the expanding growth of tourism in the PMA, the need to adopt a sustainable approach to tourism development is imperative. Identifying visitors as a key stakeholder group in sustainable tourism development, this study examined their perspectives and support for sustainable tourism development in the PMA. More specifically, it examined visitors’ environmental, economic, and social attitudes based on a sustainable tourism development framework and explored the effect and best predictive validity of attitudes on support for sustainable tourism development. Results indicated that attitudes were generally positive, and as each of the respective attitudes increased, visitors’ level of support for sustainable tourism development at the PMA also increased. The Economic Attitudinal Index had the highest predictive power, followed by the Social Attitudinal Index. The Environmental Attitudinal Index was not significant although it was strongly correlated in the bivariate analysis. Implications of the findings for the sustainable development of tourism in the PMA are discussed.

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Notes

  1. UNESCO designates World Heritage Sites based on the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This international treaty has been ratified by 186 countries. The World Heritage Committee approves the nominated sites that are identified individually by member states. Site acceptance is based on specific selection criteria and should demonstrate outstanding universal value.

  2. Agreed (strongly agreed combined with agreed responses).

  3. Support (strongly support combined with support responses).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Tourism Research and Development, Department of Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118208, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8208, USA

    Lorraine Nicholas & Brijesh Thapa

  2. Castries, St. Lucia, West Indies

    Lorraine Nicholas

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  1. Lorraine Nicholas
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  2. Brijesh Thapa
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Correspondence to Lorraine Nicholas.

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Nicholas, L., Thapa, B. Visitor perspectives on sustainable tourism development in the Pitons Management Area World Heritage Site, St. Lucia. Environ Dev Sustain 12, 839–857 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-009-9227-y

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