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This paper aims to investigate the existence of the Taíno people in Cuba and Jamaica and their alignment with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of 2030. The Caribbean has long had a narrative that the indigenous people – the Taíno – were made extinct after their encounter with Christopher Columbus in the 1500s. However, recent theoretical and empirical data have documented the survival and existence of indigenous people throughout the Caribbean. The goal of this paper is to contribute to a new narrative on Caribbean indigenous communities by documenting their current needs and challenges in achieving sustainability. It further recommends practical ways in which indigenous communities can be included in plans/goals for sustainability to ensure full alignment for the betterment of their people.

This paper takes a qualitative case study approach coupled with a literature review of the Taíno of the Caribbean. Qualitative interviews were conducted with Caciques/Kasikes (Tribe Leaders) and members of Taíno communities in Jamaica and Cuba.

The members of the indigenous communities’ view community-based/indigenous tourism as a solution to preserve and sustain their heritage and provide income for their people; they provide strong recommendations on how this may be achieved in keeping with the 2030 SDGs.

Academic literature that documents the modern day existence and experiences of the Caribbean indigenous people, especially in Cuba and Jamaica, is a clear gap. The goal of this paper is to provide a new theoretical framework/narrative on Caribbean indigenous communities and suggest practical ways in which they can be further integrated with tourism to ensure full alignment for the betterment and sustainability of their people.

COVID-19 has generated unprecedented circumstances with a tremendous impact on the global community. The academic community has also been affected by the current pandemic, with strategy and management researchers now required to adapt elements of their research process from study design through to data collection and analysis. This chapter makes a contribution to the research methods literature by documenting the process of adapting research in light of rapidly changing circumstances, using vignettes of doctoral students from around the world. In sharing their experience of shifting from the initially proposed methodologies to their modified or completely new methodologies, they demonstrate the critical importance of adaptability in research. In doing so, this chapter draws on core literature of adaptation and conducting research in times of crises, aiming to provide key learnings, methodological tips and a “story of hope” for scholars who may be faced with similar challenges in the future.

To remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace, many accommodation managers are constantly upgrading their portfolio of service offerings for guests. Luxury suites with butler service were created as an extra component of luxury to the accommodation model. This inclusion was a welcomed innovation for guests who were willing to pay top dollar for top-of-the-line services and the ultimate in exclusivity. Butlers act as the luxury service delivery mechanisms in accommodations, going above and beyond to meet and exceed guest expectations. This chapter makes a unique contribution to the compendium of knowledge on luxury hospitality and tourism by providing insights from the supply side of luxury accommodation brands in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. A comprehensive review of the literature on the topic coupled with semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Maldives, Jamaica, St. Barts, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, Cayman Islands, Barbados and Mexico. With an expressed need to examine the operationalisation (Miller & Mills, 2012a, 2012b) and subjectivity constructs (Godey et al., 2012a, 2012b) on Luxury Management in Hospitality and Tourism, this chapter aims to provide an excellent addition to the discourse. It also aims to address a major gap in the literature as there is a lacuna of recent research on Luxury Management in Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from two major tourism dependent regions of the world – the Caribbean and the Pacific.