Collaborative Tourism Entrepreneurship as a Community Resilience Strategy: A Case Study of Castara, Tobago

Many small island developing states (SIDS) are particularly reliant on the tourism industry to sustain their economy. Such reliance often requires new and innovative approaches to achieve a competitive advantage. One such approach explores the notion that integrated or collaborative entrepreneurship may prove advantageous in the management and coordination of tourism-related activities. Specifically, this entrepreneurial concept has a unique application when researched in the context of a rural community setting. In this vein, the community of Castara, Tobago, has formed a network of small business owners, the Castara Tourism Development Association (CTDA), to oversee tourism development initiatives. The model has proved successful in attracting and retaining tourists and by extension, supporting employment and wealth generation within the community, despite functioning sans heavy public sector support or financing. As such, the aim of this chapter is to investigate the entrepreneurial model utilized by the CTDA and to ascertain if the approach used is a sustainable one. To achieve such, the research is guided by a policy framework, specifically developed for tourism-related businesses which the CTDA will be benchmarked against. A sequential mixed method approach is used to investigate the construct and activities of the CTDA and in a wider context examines the enabling environment. Findings support the success of the entrepreneurial model; however, recommendations are made to enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability of the community and the sector, at large.