Shania, Scotland2026-04-232026-04-232026-04-232026-04-22https://hdl.handle.net/10012/23038Tourism is a vital economic sector for the island of Dominica, accounting for 32% of GDP, 36% of employment, and 82% of total export earnings (World Bank, 2023). The island’s natural assets (e.g., rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls, coral reefs) and key sectoral infrastructure (e.g., accommodations) are highly exposed and vulnerable to climate-related hazards, as evidenced in 2017 when the island was struck by Hurricane Maria. The hurricane caused catastrophic loss and damage (e.g., USD $1.3 billion, equivalent to 270% of the country’s GDP) (GermanWatch, 2025). Over 70% of the island’s accommodation stock (e.g., hotels, guesthouses) was severely damaged and the cruise ship terminal was rendered inoperable, decreasing international tourism arrivals by 88% the following six months (James, 2019). The disaster underscored widespread vulnerability of the built environment, with post-disaster assessments revealing that much of the island’s infrastructure did not meet basic resilience thresholds (e.g. roof failure, broken windows and doors, and wind damage) (Heidarzadeh et al., 2018). Following this devastation, Dominica announced its intention to become the first climate-resilient nation- a broad, multi-sectoral goal that does not have a single defined metric of achievement, by committing to reduce the country’s vulnerability by strengthening building standards as declared in the National Resilience Development Strategy (NRDS). To date, there is no empirical evidence as to whether tourism infrastructure has adapted since the declaration, nor whether and to what extent the sector has been integrated within national climate and development policy frameworks, including Dominica’s National Tourism Master Plan (NTMP), Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan (CRRP), and Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Using a mixed-methods approach, the thesis combines a policy analysis, geospatial exposure mapping, and building classification, to provide the first empirical resilience assessment of Dominica’s accommodation infrastructure. Results indicate that while post-Hurricane Maria reconstruction improved overall building condition and reflects growing alignment with national resilience narratives, structural and spatial vulnerabilities persist. Tourism accommodations remain concentrated in coastal zones exposed to hydrometeorological hazards, and recovery patterns demonstrate incremental rather than transformative adaptation, with deeper structural attributes such as foundation types and protective measures minimally adopted. Moreover, incomplete policy integration and operationalization limit the extent to which resilience gains have been realized across the sector. The empirical results can be used to strengthen infrastructure guidelines by enforcing existing building codes (e.g., through stricter inspections, conditional permitting, insurance-linked compliance requirements), prioritize investments, and integrate climate resilience more effectively into tourism planning and policy.enClimate changeresiliencetourismDominicaCaribbeanpolicyrecoverySmall Island Developing StatesMaster Thesis