In the Shade of Paradise- Experiences of Tourism-induced Displacements in Barbados and the Meaning of the Beach

Abstract

Tourism plays a vital role in many people’s lives, whether one enjoys being a tourist traveling to different countries or being a resident of a tourism-heavy economy. Often, countries in the Global South heavily depend on tourism, utilizing it as a key development strategy to foster economic growth. Amongst the most tourism-dependent countries in the world are Small Island Developing States such as Barbados. While tourism-induced economic development brings many benefits, it also often disadvantages residents. In Barbados, the effects on the local population, especially coastal residents, are often overlooked. Thus, this thesis explores how coastal residents experience the pressures and disruptions caused by tourism development, focusing on place-based displacement. Rather than understanding displacement only as physical relocation, the research conceptualizes it as a process, causing material, emotional, and spiritual losses. The fieldwork was conducted in the southwestern coastal strip of Barbados through 46 semi-structured interviews with residents, supported by observations and visual methods. One neighborhood currently faces the threat of displacement as part of a tourism project, while others report ongoing changes to their lived environment. The findings show that displacement is not always immediate or visible. Residents experience a slow, violent loss of place, spirituality, self, identity, and security through restricted beach access, the expansion of hotel infrastructure, and the pressure of physical displacement. This often leads to feelings of neglect, exclusion, uncertainty, and frustration. By focusing on how displacement is felt and made sense of in everyday life, this thesis offers a deeper understanding of tourism’s social impacts. It shows that development can produce powerful forms of exclusion that alter the way people relate to their environment. The study highlights the importance of recognizing place- based dimensions of displacement in tourism planning, particularly in Small Island Developing States contexts, where land, identity, and belonging are often deeply tied.