Cocoa, conservation and tourism Grande Riviere, Trinidad

Following a review of tourism in the Caribbean and studies of communities affected by it, the focus of this paper is Grande Riviere, Northeast Trinidad. The history of the village from the mid-19th century is given, and its economic and social characteristics during extended fieldwork from 1971 to 1972 are described. Tourism to the village started in the 90s, prompted by the emergence of Grande Riviere as a major nesting site for Leatherback turtles, and visits were made to the village in 2004 and 2006. Changes over the 30-year period are described and assessed, the impact of tourism is discussed and analyzed and placed within the wider theoretical context.