Can Tourism contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals? Evidence from Pacific Island Countries & Territories

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 interconnected global goals aimed at achieving a better and more sustainable future for all people. Tourism has long been perceived as a passport to development in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). As such, tourism development in PICTs, if undertaken sustainably, can contribute to the SDGs. The paper cites examples where tourism can contribute, either directly or indirectly to all 17 SDGs in PICTs. There are numerous examples cited in the literature. But there are questions about how sustainable is the industry as a whole. Despite several excellent instances of how tourism may contribute to the SDGs in the Pacific, tourism’s potential to contribute to the SDGs effectively and meaningfully in the post-COVID-19 future may require further reconsideration. Keywords: Pacific Islands; SDGs; Tourism Development; MGDs; Fiji; Sustainability