Tourism in archipelagos: Hawai’i and the Balearics

Islands and archipelagos pose unique challenges for tourism policy. While tourism development in islands is well studied, little attention has been given to archipelagos and their special challenges. This paper analyzes tourism issues faced by archipelagos. by comparing two successful “sun and beach” mass destinations—the Hawai’ian (USA) and Balearic (Spain) archipelagos. Growth paths since the 1950s are discussed, and comparative policy issues over the last five decades are analyzed. The paper finds similarities and differences in their growth paths. It compares the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each archipelago destination, and discusses how each is incorporating sustainability principles to address unique archipelago issues.