Abstract
This research reports on empirical findings of remote Pitcairn Island, the last remaining British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. It uses a qualitative methodology to discuss the island's potential for tourism development while recognising the issues and challenges faced by many small island developing states. However, as a sub‐national island jurisdiction Pitcairn presents a number of issues unique to its temporal socio‐political development and its centre periphery relationship with the metropole. The concept ‘decolonising without disengaging’ is posited to argue sub‐national island jurisdictions are places/spaces of innovative, creative and differentiated development processes that offer interesting departures from the conventional realms of sustainable discourse and island development. This concept is posited as a strategy of empowerment whereby autonomy without sovereignty does not necessarily hinder the development of tourism industries.