Case Studies
Real places, real problems, real lessons
Each case study is drawn from direct field research or observation. Together they form a comparative picture of what tourism development looks like at ground level — and what it misses.
When Territory Is Misunderstood: The Rooi Example
A residential green corridor cleared for condominium development. What looked like unused land was a functioning rainwater channel — a rooi — connecting to a wider hydrological system. When ecological infrastructure is replaced without accounting for its function, the consequences are invisible until they fail.
San Nicolas: Creative Energy Without a Framework
Street art. Festival heritage. Independent entrepreneurs. San Nicolas has the cultural depth to be one of the Caribbean's most compelling tourism experiences. So why do most visitors miss it — and why do most businesses struggle?
Entrepreneurs in Survival Mode: Nadi and Port Denarau
Field research with micro and small enterprises in Fiji's main tourism corridor revealed a paradox: businesses deeply embedded in the visitor economy, but dangerously disconnected from its development. Insights that still resonate in Aruba today.
Avinguda de Gaudí: Location Advantages, Missed Connections
Steps from the Sagrada Família and Hospital de Sant Pau, this street had everything: location, foot traffic, heritage. Yet businesses operated in silos — no collaboration, no shared narrative, no bridge to the city's tourism authorities.
Research locations
Aruba
2024–2026 · San Nicolas, Oranjestad, Palm Beach, Territorial analysis
Fiji (Nadi & Port Denarau)
2014 · Group research – NHTV Breda
Barcelona
2015 · Master's thesis – Avinguda de Gaudí
Sanur, Bali
2014 · Group research – NHTV Breda
Melbourne
2014 · Group research – Public-private partnerships