Tourism Resources: Extract from the Mauritius Strategy, Chapter VIII, Paras 50-52

50. Tourism is an important contributor to economic growth in small island developing States. Yet it is recognized that the sector is open to many exogenous shocks. In addition, if tourism is not developed sustainably, it can damage or even destroy the natural environment that attracts tourism in the first place. There is also a continuing challenge to establish the appropriate balance between the development of tourism and that of other sectors of the economy. There is a particular challenge to make appropriate linkages to other sectors, including to local service providers so as to retain resources within the country, and in particular to create synergistic linkages between tourism and the agricultural sector by promoting island foods and beverages supply chains, rural hospitality and agro-tourism. 51. Small island developing States, with the required support of regional and international tourism organizations and other relevant stakeholders, should monitor the impacts of tourism development to ensure that tourism development and social and environmental priorities are mutually supportive at all levels. They must also facilitate the design or refinement of guidelines and best practices appropriate for assessing the carrying capacity of small island developing States, including the provision of technical and financial support to conduct these assessments. To this end, they should develop and implement appropriate partnerships. Small island developing States should also implement the guidelines on biodiversity and tourism development adopted by the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its seventh meeting. 52. Small island developing States, with the necessary support of regional and international tourism organizations, should also find effective ways and means to develop and implement sustainable tourism development plans, in partnership with all relevant stakeholders, in particular the private sector, and should integrate these plans into their national strategies for sustainable development. In addition, they should develop and implement community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism, and build the necessary capacities of civil society and local stakeholders, while protecting culture and traditions and effectively conserving and managing natural resources.