Saba

Project/Location
The European Union commissioned
John Robinson Planning & Design to
prepare a master plan and
financing proposal which identifies
the conservation and development
principles and necessary actions to
achieve sustainable tourism growth
over the next 10 years. The island
is located within the leeward
Islands of the Caribbean.

Project Description
With a superb but fragile
environment and limited capacity
for expansion, a planned and
controlled approach is essential in
order to achieve a well balanced
tourism sector.

Tourism is the most important
economic activity with some 10,000
stay over visitors and a further
15,000 day trippers coming to enjoy
the spectacular diving and
interesting landscape.

The steady development of the
tourism sector, together with rising
incomes and foreign interest in
property investment (private building
remains completely unregulated),
have combined to create a situation
where there is a risk that demand
pressures of various kinds are
beginning to cause strains on the
island, for instance, in terms of
human resources; cost and
availability of low cost housing for
Sabans; pressure on the road
infrastructure; and damage to the
natural environment. A ten point
Action Programme was developed
beginning with the key area of
monitoring carrying capacity.

Client
European Union.
Saba Tourist Bureau, Netherlands
Antilles