Re-engineering Tourism for the Anthropocene: Cases from The Bahamas

Presented by Dr. Amelia Moore

Dr. Amelia Moore

Dr. Amelia Moore Assistant Professor of Sustainable Coastal Tourism and Recreation Marine Affairs College of the Environment and Life Sciences University of Rhode Island ameliamoore@uri.edu Visiting Professor (January-April 2016) School of Chemistry, Environmental & Life Sciences College of The Bahamas Bahamas Cell: 242 437 1817 The Anthropocene is a creative concept that unites many different forms of global environmental change under the mantel of anthropogenesis. In this talk, I argue that the concept is a geological indicator and scientific buzzword, and it is also a political tool with potential to redefine what policy makers and developers design for the future. One facet that is often overlooked is that the Anthropocene is a concept with commercial potential. In this paper, I investigate the commercial potential of the Anthropocene through the lens of sustainable tourism ventures in The Bahamas. Using examples from my long-term anthropological research on the subject in the country, I describe the ways in which the Anthropocene idea participates in the creation, redesign, and rebranding of island and coastal destinations as emergent tourism products. My goal is to explore and critique the creativity of the Anthropocene idea as its core themes are used as tools for capitalist and conservationist innovation. I will conclude by presenting future interdisciplinary research goals for The Bahamas that can assess the legitimacy of these emergent developments at the intersection of tourism, conservation, and sustainable development policy.