An examination of issues related to tourism and health and well-being as a sustainable development goal by tourism providers in Tobago

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to examine the issues related to the ability of the tourism sector in Tobago to contribute towards the health and well-being of the nation in support of the sustainable development goal from the perspective of the tourism providers. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from 29 tourism providers in Tobago. The sociological perspective of symbolic interactionism guided the study with a grounded theory approach for data analysis. Findings The results revealed that the dominant themes that came out of the study were issues related to the process of knowledge acquisition, social production of vulnerability, controversies and challenges and collective capacity action that articulated the connection between the tourism sector in Tobago and health and well-being as a sustainable development goal. The study recommended the creation of a formal platform for discussion and knowledge sharing, support for key tourism providers involved in health and wellness activities, infrastructure development and the creation of a reporting mechanism that would facilitate the framing of the sustainability strategy for the tourism sector in Tobago. Practical implications The paper contributed to the ongoing discourse on tourism and sustainable development with special emphasis on tourism contributing to realizing the health and well-being as a sustainable development goal for Tobago. Originality/value The findings provided the original views of tourism providers based on their experiences, feelings and opinions concerning the tourism sector in Tobago and its ability to contribute to health and well-being as a sustainable development goal by 2030.