A critical evaluation of the potentiality of tourism and destination development in Failaka Island

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the how Failaka Island can develop as a tourism destination through pursuing a sustainable pathway addressing the preservation of its complex history and culture. It argues that tourism development on Failaka Island faces multiple economic, environmental and social challenges, but also provides the most practical and reasonable potential for developing a large-scale tourist destination to drive international, regional Gulf Cooperation Council and domestic tourism demand. With a particular focus on domestic tourism, resident surveys could provide useful information concerning the current domestic tourism activities, behaviour, attitudes and expenditures that would assist the planning and marketing of the island domestically. Additionally, surveys and interviews of current Failaka Island visitors could provide insights into travel motivations and behaviours of visitors. The development of Failaka Island into a large-scale tourism destination is a central component of the recent government initiatives to expand the tourism sector within Kuwait.