Interorganisational Relationships in Small Twin-Island Developing States in the Caribbean – The Role of the Internal Core-Periphery Model: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

This paper explores the issues of tourism collaboration, cooperation, coordination and conflict that exist between dominant and subordinate islands in small twin-island developing states (STIDS). Previous research on tourism in small island developing states (SIDS) have neglected to examine the role that internal core-periphery (ICP) relationships can have on the ability of twin-island states to design institutional arrangements that foster effective collaboration, coordination and cooperation between public sector tourism organisations. Results from the qualitative in-depth interviews conducted show that the ICP relationship between Trinidad and Tobago has set the stage on which institutional structures are designed; organisational roles, responsibilities and authority are assigned; organisations and their actors interact and relate with each other; actors' values and interests are conditioned; distribution of power is determined; and conflicts are played out. It has also contributed to present-day conflicts and tensions between the key public sector organisations responsible for tourism policy-making. Respondents' comments confirmed that contemporary inter-organisational frictions are the product of over one hundred years of inter-island conflict. It is clear that recognition of a wider historical context is necessary in order to obtain a fuller understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political complexity of the environment within which institutional arrangements for tourism are designed.