Abstract
National planning for tourism education and training in a Small Island Developing State can be problematic. In the case of the Caribbean Island, the Commonwealth of Dominica now at a relatively immature state of tourism growth and marked by several developmental challenges due to its small size, this phenomenon is particularly evident. Against this background, this thesis seeks to critically examine the current situation and to ascertain the best planning approach to tourism education and training for the island. The study draws on education theory and particularly on the extant tourism education and training literature. In investigating the application and significance of the related tourism education and training concepts and issues in the context of Dominica, the study is also underpinned by key paradigms of organisational and planning theories, namely organisational structures and designs, bureaucracy and adhocracy, restructuring and organisational change, power relations, strategic planning, collaborative planning and collaborative network theory. Of the existing research on tourism education and training, few works are dedicated to island destinations and among these the focus has mainly been on higher education and industry concerns. It is therefore the premise of this study that a more comprehensive approach is needed; involving all stakeholders impacted by tourism education and training and giving consideration to the curriculum at all educational levels. Accordingly, the empirical research encompassed 65 expert in-depth interviews with representation from all levels of the formal education and training system, industry experts and relevant policy makers and planners. The primary research is framed within the interpretivist paradigm and employs a qualitative design for data collection and analysis. Consequently, multiple constructions and interpretations are observed as thorough understanding of the research puzzle is pursued. The data which emerged around four broad themes - principles, structures, power and process - reveals that in the Commonwealth of Dominica a lifelong approach to tourism education and training is vital. Thus, tourism should be introduced from early childhood education and developed in a spiral fashion up to tertiary, adult and continuing education and industry training. The thesis also claims that within this context the planning approach should be strategic, holistic, collaborative and driven by a clearly articulated policy. Finally, in an attempt to conceptualise a national planning approach to tourism education and training the study advances Amoah and Baum's (1997) Tourism Education Planning - Tourism Education Implementation (TEP-TEI) conceptual framework, advocating, however, that a structures policy-driven approach would best suit Dominica's context. These findings serve as a springboard for advancing tourism knowledge on Small Island Developing States.