La Economía Azul: Public-Private Partnerships and “Blue” Youth Skills Development for Tourism in the Dominican Republic

• In Event: The Visibility and Invisibility of State Governance: A Critical Analysis of Educational Policy and Development Educational Initiatives (Panel 2 of 2)

Proposal

Public and private sector partnerships have focused increased attention on developing a Blue Economy, targeting collaborative efforts toward “the sustainable management and utilization of oceans, seas, and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and healthy environment” (Murcia, 2023, p. 5). Supported by global initiatives such as the Ocean Decade (2020-2030), countries aim to both foster sustainable and equitable ocean economies and develop skills, knowledge, and technology for their citizens (IOC & UNESCO, 2024). A focus on “blue skills” and “blue careers” invites primary, secondary, and tertiary education to participate in the formation of this knowledge and expertise (Arbic et al., 2024). Nearly three-fourths of employment in the ocean economy is linked to tourism and recreation in the United States (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2024). Globally, however, employment in coastal tourism is marked by “negative perception[s] of job quality, seasonality, and limited career prospects” (World Bank Group, 2023, p. 10). In low-income contexts, youth participation in the Blue Economy is more frequently linked to “low-skills” occupations (World Bank, 2023), such as service jobs in the tourism industry, where they experience ethnoracial, class, gender, and immigration status inequalities (Author, forthcoming).

In the Dominican Republic, tourism’s cadena de valor (value chain) is invoked through public-private partnerships to develop the touristic potential of “untouched” remote locations while improving the social and economic mobility of nearby inhabitants (Alvarado et al., 2017). In this paper, I analyze policy documents, news sources, and social media to show how the state and private sector engage in the twin efforts of developing ocean economies and youth as human capital through three distinct destinations: (1) Amber Cove and Taíno Bay, two cruise ship ports in Puerto Plata, (2) the city of “wind and waves” organized around aquatic sports, and (3) the government’s plans to develop “Silicon Beach” as a technology innovation hub. I also draw from ethnographic and participatory research with Dominican and Haitian youth in a workforce development program along the country’s north coast to reveal how the public-private transformation of physical landscapes along the water are linked to educational efforts aimed at transforming youth skills and aspirations. I contrast public-private commitments to “sustainable tourism” with the depoliticization of education as youth are encouraged to develop “knowledge, appreciation, and respect” for natural resources and the built environment and to exercise responsible citizenry to promote and preserve “recursos turísticos locales” (local touristic resources).

Author

• Molly Hamm-Rodriguez, University of South Florida