Striking a delicate balance in the Cook Islands, the tourism dollar vs environmental sustainability

Australia Broadcast Center

24-06-2025

White sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and the tranquil sound of the ocean — the Pacific is widely marketed as a paradisiacal escape.
Every year, more than a million tourists choose to holiday in the region, generating substantial revenue. However, behind the idyllic imagery, a significant challenge is emerging: how to balance economic gain with environmental and social preservation.
In the Cook Islands, a nation that has experienced record tourism numbers, the tension between profit and preservation has become particularly evident. The country is striving to implement a more sustainable tourism model, a shift that is proving to be a complex undertaking.
"When tourism is 70 per cent of your economy and GDP, it affects every man, woman and child," said Karla Eggleton, CEO of Cook Islands Tourism.
The cost of unchecked growth
The Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands, boasts pristine oceans, beaches, and a rich cultural heritage. Upon achieving self-governance in 1965, the nation's leaders identified tourism as a primary economic driver.
"In 1965, when we gained self-governing status, there was an aspiration for tourism to lead our economy and lead our destiny," said Eggleton.
This aspiration has largely been realised. Tourism now contributes approximately 70 per cent of the Cook Islands' GDP, forming the backbone of its economy. However, this growth has introduced challenges to the local environment and way of life.
Muri Beach borders Muri Lagoon. ( American: Creativecommons, Wikimedia )
The Muri Lagoon, a significant natural and cultural site, serves as a case study. Jacqueline Evans, a Cook Islands conservationist, notes the lagoon's historical importance to the local community, encompassing traditional activities and social gatherings. It's also a popular tourist destination, with numerous villas and guesthouses along its shore.
By the early 2000s, changes in the lagoon became apparent.
"In 2003 there was a complaint about an irritation experienced by people initially swimming in the lagoon," Evans said, a reference to stinging eyes and subsequent medical visits.
Investigations, supported by the New Zealand government, eventually pointed to a potential toxic algal bloom. This phenomenon, resulting from excessive nutrients in the water, leads to rapid algae growth.
As the algae die and decompose, bacteria consume oxygen, potentially causing fish die-offs and hindering the growth of other marine organisms, including coral larvae.
Evans's thesis, focusing on political ecology and environmental impacts in the Cook Islands, used Muri as a case study. Her research in the early 2000s quantified the correlation between increasing accommodation density along Muri Beach and the lagoon's deterioration.
"I could show how the lagoon was beginning to deteriorate correlated with the growth in accommodation development along the coastline," Evans said.
Jacqueline Evans grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand and moved to the Cook Islands, where her mother was from, as a teenager. ( Image: Goldman Environmental Prize )
The algal bloom persisted for about a decade, intensifying to the point where the Cook Islands government declared it a national disaster in 2015.
"Finally, there's some recognition of this issue," Evans recalled thinking at the time.
The issue stemmed from inadequate waste management. As tourism and development expanded, the prevalent use of septic tanks struggled to cope with increased volumes of wastewater, leading to nutrient leaching into the lagoon.
The government's declaration initiated frameworks for a waste system redesign. Despite these efforts, tourism has continued to grow in the ensuing decade, placing further strain on the country's resources.
Evans's observations indicate broader impacts beyond the Muri Lagoon.
"There have been a number of impacts I've noticed in the last 10 years or more, where, you know, we're actually starting to experience reduction in water access, access to beaches, even food," she said.
One change was in airport parking accessibility for locals. In 2019, the Cook Islands recorded its highest visitor numbers, exceeding 170,000 tourists. This surge further highlighted the strain on infrastructure and local resources.
"The sentiment that we could see and hear from our communities was that it was enough, that it was being our infrastructure and our way of life was being stretched," Eggleton said.
Evans' findings found broader impacts beyond the Muri Lagoon. ( Image: Goldman Environmental Prize )
A strategic shift
The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to border closures, provided an unexpected "reset moment."
"There was a lot of sentiment, particularly in the social media space from visitors and communities about how lovely it is to have their island back," Eggleton said.
The earlier "growth at any cost" sentiment has shifted. Eggleton said that in the last five to 10 years, there's a recognition that such a model is unsustainable and jeopardises the very qualities that make the destination desirable, such as pristine beaches.
The Cook Islands is now guided by cultural philosophies like Kia Orana and Mana Tiaki. Kia Orana emphasises respect for others and the environment, while Mana Tiaki embodies the role of guardianship. A third value promotes sustainability for future generations.
In October 2022, Cook Islands Tourism launched its first sustainable tourism development plan, aligning with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation's regional focus. This plan involves redefining quality assurance standards for accommodation, now including environmental management, waste management, and recycling practices.
"We are looking at redefining what growth means… driving for quality visitors rather than quantity visitors," Eggleton said, which suggested a focus on increasing average length of stay and developing tourism across all islands in a community-driven manner.
The transition, while deemed positive, has been slower than desired, partly due to the post-COVID recovery phase.
"Since we have now, three years on, really gotten to the point where we identified that recovery is now over, resilience is now our focus," Eggleton said, noting growing active support for sustainable endeavours.
Community efforts and regulatory challenges
Louisa Castledine, Managing Director at Ocean Toa Cook Islands, represents a grassroots tourism provider integrating sustainability into her business. Her company, founded in 2022, offers turtle-swimming experiences and contributes a portion of every customer's fee to conservation and local education programs.
"Strategically for us, we cap our numbers at eight… A portion of every tour gets invested in those spaces," Castledine said.
Her programs also involve local children in educational swims with turtles and rays, integrating the experience into their curriculum.
Louisa Castledine says there's a critical need for a balanced approach between tourism and conservation. ( Supplied )
Castledine acknowledged the increased education around conservation and regenerative practices, including the destination stewardship plan, but observed a slow response from the government regarding regulation and legislation.
"My business has been actually petitioning government, as well as our National Environmental Service and our Marine Resources Organisation, to implement regulations in the number of turtle tour operators that can function in that space," she said, advocating for controls given the "explosion" of turtle tour businesses in the last four years.
While an informal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was implemented by Cook Islands Tourism, signed by eight operators, some have opted not to comply. The MoU suggests guidelines such as a maximum of four guests per qualified lifeguard and no weekend operations to allow the environment to rest.
Castledine expresses frustration with the pace of governmental response.
"If I'm being completely transparent, I would say that the response has been extremely slow," she said. She attributed delays to overlapping jurisdictions of multiple ministries, limited budgets and conflicting priorities.
Despite the challenges, Castledine believes there is a critical need for a balanced approach.
"For me, one of the key charms and beauties of Cook Islands is that we are so untouched. And sometimes when you have an increased volume of visitors, your hand almost gets forced into development," she said, a recognition of the financial reliance on tourism while advocating for conscious consumption by visitors.
Balancing economy and environment
Across the Pacific, similar dilemmas exist. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 1.8 million tourists visited the region, generating $US2.4 billion in revenue. As tourism rebounds, managing its growth while preserving communities and the environment remains a concern.
The South Pacific Regional Organisation's 2021 sustainable policy framework, involving 20 Pacific countries, aims to address this, though implementation varies across nations.
View of Muri Beach. ( Flickr: Gemma Longman )
Tourism built the modern Cook Islands, and remains its primary economic driver. However, the experience of Muri Lagoon underscores that without robust protections, the environmental foundations of paradise can erode.
Sustainability, in this context, is not merely a promotional term but a prerequisite for long-term economic and environmental viability. While governmental strategies and grassroots efforts are under way, the shift is gradual.
As visitor numbers continue to climb, the critical question remains: can the Cook Islands maintain its identity as paradise?