Participatory Planning and Tourism Development in the Maldives: A Prerequisite of Sustainability?

Abstract

Based on a quantitative survey of 200 local residents from two structurally different communities, this chapter investigates the extent to which locals perceive that they are represented in tourism planning and development processes in the Maldives, a classic pleasure periphery which also encourages the parallel development of community-focused tourism. Residents want to be included in local tourism policy and planning processes but feel excluded. However, alienation is much less expressed where development of and dependency on tourism is far more advanced. Participatory planning remains an elusive aspiration for local residents with vested interests in how tourism is developed given very high dependency on the sector.