The recent explosion of second home development in tourism areas around the world is a reflection not only of the increased mobility of capital and people associated with the effects of globalization but also the development models employed in many tourism destinations that link real estate development with amenities such as golf courses, marinas and ski infrastructure. Second home residents have differing patterns of use of their properties to those of permanent residents and the literature points to differing attitudes and values between these two groups that may result in conflict (Hall and Müller, 2004). Furthermore, Gartner (1987) concluded that although second-home owners may be sensitive to the environmental conditions and potential impacts of their activities, their behaviours suggest that they do not recognize their contributions to these conditions and impacts. In this paper we examine perceived differences in attitudes and use of water resources between permanent residents and second home residents in an island setting in order to identify sustainable approaches to regulation and management.

Small island settings are especially vulnerable to problems of water quality and supply especially in coastal zones (Gössling, 2001) Second homes are often located in such areas and high occupancy rates frequently occur during drier seasons (Essex, 2004; Ioannides, 2002), thus making sustainable water management a priority. Further, saltwater intrusion into fresh water aquifers can be induced by the exploitation of groundwater through overpumping of wells along the coastline, particularly during drought conditions (Calvache & Pulldo-Bosch, 1997). As Puczko and Ratz (2000) observe planning and policy for water management can be informed by the perceptions and attitudes of permanent and nonpermanent residents.

We explored these issues in a case study of Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada, one of the Gulf Islands lying between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.