If you grew up on an island – or spent considerable time on one – you are probably aware of the metaphysical sensation of “islandness,” derived from the feeling of boundedness – being anchored to a place.  It describes an amplified sense of place, a deep connection to the natural world, an absorption of island deep into the marrow of your bones.  It refers to the obstinate and tenacious hold of island communities and factors into how they are presented to the world.  Islandness is a calling card which draws travellers from near and far.

At Saltwater Solutions, we “get under the skin of communities” in to create positive synergies between the area’s culture and its tourism businesses, recognizing that the unique spirit of a place can only be lived and shared by those who call it home.

We are knowledgeable about tourism practices and global trends, particularly in relation to islands remote areas, including the use of culture, events and festivals; best use of local resources; climate change considerations; as well as COVID-19 recovery approaches. 

We conduct in-depth environmental scans using a variety of primary and secondary research techniques to gather island tourism data, distilling the findings clearly and concisely to inform recovery or growth strategies. We have researched the role of culture in tourism, protecting cultural authenticity, literary tourism, travel writing and service quality in tourism.

Of particular note, we have conducted tourism-industry research projects for Tourism Prince Edward Island (Literary Tourism) and Holar University in Iceland (Service Quality in Long Horse Riding Tours). These projects included literature reviews, environmental scanning and primary interviews to develop a clear picture of the current situation as well as recommendations for improvement.