Multiple stressors impacting a small island tourism destination-community: A nested vulnerability assessment of Oistins, Barbados

Small island nations face several challenges, both short- and long-term, in the context of a changing climate and socio-economic environments. Consequently, their communities are vulnerable to multiple sources of stress. This study examines the multiple stressors impacting a tourism community, based on 48 interviews and five focus groups, with local and national stakeholders in Oistins, Barbados. The research identifies mechanisms used by respondents to cope and adapt to change and finds that many are short-term oriented, and so under-estimate the potential of long-term climatic change. Moreover, responses to change are often ineffective. A nested analysis indicates important relationships between factors external to Barbados, those inherent to the island, and then those specific to the community. The paper concludes with the suggestion that sectoral and community-level adaptations are not always consistent and/or appropriate and that local stakeholder adaptation is not fully effective in reducing tourism vulnerability.