A Robert Gordon University (RGU) Professor has joined forces with an academic from Grenada to explore sustainable tourism.
Professor Peter Strachan, of RGU’s Aberdeen Business School, teamed up with Dr John Telesford, Associate Dean of the School of Continuing Education at T.A. Marryshow Community College, St George’s, Grenada, and Research Associate with the Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, to pen a new article on sustainable development in the tourism sector of Grenada.
The article was published in the internationally acclaimed journal Sustainable Development entitled ‘Strategic Sustainability Procedures: Focusing Business Strategic Planning on the Socio-Ecological System in an Island Context’. The article outlines how sustainability principles can be applied in the tourism accommodation sector.
Dr Telesford, the lead author on the article, said: “This work was principally based on my doctoral research at RGU with the fieldwork carried out in Grenada. The article was initially presented at a prominent International Conference on Sustainable Development, Columbia University, New York in 2014. Valuable feedback was received from some of the world’s leading people working in the sustainable development field.”
Dr Telesford continued: “The sun, sea and sand are the major lure for tourists visiting Grenada. But tourism comes with significant environmental costs: adverse impacts are slowly destroying the quality of the natural environment on which Grenada’s economy depends. To address such impacts a reconceptualised framework for strategic sustainable development was formulated for the economically important sector.
“Strategic sustainability procedures were then formulated and tested, in order to identify how adverse tourism impacts from food, energy, waste and water flows can be minimised and at the same time demonstrate how these procedures align with the strategic planning process of the participating hotels.”
Professor Strachan added: “Arising from the higher doctorate that Dr Telesford successfully completed at RGU our work illustrates the important role that the Aberdeen Business School is playing in contributing to economic and sustainable development in other nations.
“Increasingly RGU is working with many international partners (governments, business and community groups) on issues such as energy, entrepreneurship and environmental management. Future work with Dr Telesford will now focus on making the transition to a low carbon economy, particularly in the provision of renewable energy, in Grenada’s wider economy. This is an area where RGU has world class expertise.”
Professor Elizabeth Gammie, the new Head of Aberdeen Business School, said: “This is an excellent example of the contribution that staff from Aberdeen Business School can make to the career capital of individuals.
“Students who undertake their PhD with Aberdeen Business School often continue to work with their supervisors and it is particularly gratifying to note the impact of this research collaboration on the sustainable development of Grenada.”