The tourism sector in the Wider Caribbean Region makes the greatest use of the coastal and  marine resources and as a result not only do the benefits of tourism impact on the entire economy, but the adverse impacts of tourism also impact on the entire economy through the investment decisions and the ecosystem linkages which adversely affect other resources.

One of the sub-programmes of the Caribbean Environmental Programme (CEP) is the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Programme. The SPAW Programme supports activities for the protection and management of sensitive and highly valuable natural marine resources. In 1996, the Caribbean Environment Network (CEN) Project was implemented by the CEP as a joint venture with the the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as a main donor agency.

The goal of the CEN Project was to improve environmental quality and coastal  and marine natural resource protection in the Wider Caribbean Region, by promoting the use of environmentally sound practices by the tourism industry. The Project was completed in the beginning of 1999, however initiatives that resulted from the Project are currently being developed and supported by the CEP.

The following are a few of the results of the CEN Project:

• Assistance to the Caribbean Action for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) in Puerto Rico. This non-profit organisation ws chartered in 1997 and promotes effective management of natural resources and provides access to expertise in sustainable tourism, assisting hotel and tourism operators in the Caribbean region achieve the goals of Agenda 21 for sustainable development.
• "Improved Training and Public Awareness on Caribbean Coastal Tourism" (.PDF 129KB)
• "Why Treat Wastewater? Environmental, Health and Legal Consideration" (.PDF 120 KB)
• "Trends in Hotel Certification and Rating Programs: Guidelines for the Caribbean" (.PDF 61 KB)
• "Manual for Sand Dune Management in the Wider Caribbean" (.PDF 1799 KB)
• "Sewage Treatment Operators Manual for the Caribbean Region" (.PDF 398 KB)
• Caribbean Regional Training Manual: Integrated Coastal Area Management for the Tourism Industry
• Caribbean Regional Training Manual: Solid Waste and Wastewater Management for the Tourism Industry
• Caribbean Regional Training Manual: Environmentally Sound Tourist Facility Design and Development
     for the Tourism Industry

Other publications relating to Sustainable Tourism includes :

• "Coastal Tourism in the Wider Caribbean Region: Impacts and Best Management Practices"
  
• "Ecotourism in the Wider Caribbean Region - An Assessment" - CEP Technical Report #31
  
• "Tourism Impacts on Coral Reefs: Increasing Awareness in the Tourism Sector" - Tom van't Hof (2001)