The influence of stakeholders on stewardship policies: Building sustainable and responsible tourism in Belize.

摘要

The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to determine if sustainable responsible tourism (SRT) policies included issues and concerns raised by community stakeholders that demonstrate a participatory action between the government of Belize and the stakeholders of Belize. The study was guided by the following research question: To what extent do the economic, social, and ecologic concerns of the stakeholders of Belize influence government policy-making decisions relating to SRT legislation? The population base included 50 tourists, 37 knowledgeable stakeholders from various regions of Belize, and 12 government associates. The transcription and coding of interview responses yielded the data necessary for analysis and recommendations. The findings of this study resulted in seven themes: tourists lack SRT knowledge, tourism is the economic driver for Belize, there is no consistent forum to communicate, tourism causes stress to the environment, community leaders are external influencers, stakeholders distrust the government, and the government and stakeholders would benefit by a change in the present leadership process. Recommendations to leadership include the importance of developing a transparent and participatory leadership model to build trust, maintaining open communication, sharing knowledge with community stakeholders, and the inclusion of NGOs from beginning communications regarding tourism policies. The implications of this study should inform community leaders and government agencies in small developing countries that depend on the economics of tourism of the importance of having participatory leadership.