Source: Massey University
March 23, 2011
Strengthening ties between tourism operators and local communities has the potential to alleviate poverty in the Pacific, according to Professor Regina Scheyvens from the School of People Environment and Planning.
In her research for a new book, Tourism and Poverty, Professor Scheyvens looked at Fiji and found growing corporate responsibility from large-scale providers and resorts, combined with government legislation, could help local communities.
“The assumption in Fiji is that only small-scale alternative forms of tourism, like eco-tourism can provide immediate benefit to communities,” she says. “The reality is, however, that only small numbers of tourists seek eco-tourism experiences, while the majority prefer resorts. A growing trend among resort operators and chains to link with local business operators for goods and services can make a significant contribution to alleviating poverty.”
Professor Scheyvens says there are examples that show innovative partnerships between resorts and fledgling indigenous businesses to provide skills, work and resources for local communities and businesses. She says she was pleased to see genuine partnerships in Fiji that not only provide mentoring programmes for indigenous business owners, but also support them with appropriate resources with which to operate.
“One example is a resort manager who worked with a local taxi company to gain quality vehicles with which to run their service,” she says. “The result was a sense of local pride in the business, and satisfaction from their customers. There are significant impacts from these type of partnerships on work experience, skills and ultimately career paths that bring sustainable and long-term benefits for people.
A major challenge remains to get resorts to buy their produce locally, due to standardised menus and the need for a regular committed supply to provide for them, she says. “Currently 80 per cent of food is still sought from abroad. Some will buy 30 per cent from overseas and the rest locally, but buffet menus are largely Australia and New Zealand-grown.”
Better linkages between tourism, agriculture and fisheries, and investment in technology, refrigeration and boats could make a significant contribution to local farmers, she says. “In Fiji a lot of communities get their income from resorts, and it’s important to note that new legislation passed by the Fijian government allows for that money to be distributed evenly among the people, whereas previously 45 per cent of money received went directly to local chiefs.
“For 47 out of 50 of the world’s poorest countries, tourism is one of the top three generators of foreign exchange.”
Tourism and Poverty addresses a critical question facing many academics, governments, aid agencies, tourism organisations, and conservation bodies around the world: can tourism work as a tool to overcome poverty? It presents a focused description and critique of the issues surrounding poverty and tourism.
In her research for a new book, Tourism and Poverty, Professor Scheyvens looked at Fiji and found growing corporate responsibility from large-scale providers and resorts, combined with government legislation, could help local communities.
“The assumption in Fiji is that only small-scale alternative forms of tourism, like eco-tourism can provide immediate benefit to communities,” she says. “The reality is, however, that only small numbers of tourists seek eco-tourism experiences, while the majority prefer resorts. A growing trend among resort operators and chains to link with local business operators for goods and services can make a significant contribution to alleviating poverty.”
Professor Scheyvens says there are examples that show innovative partnerships between resorts and fledgling indigenous businesses to provide skills, work and resources for local communities and businesses. She says she was pleased to see genuine partnerships in Fiji that not only provide mentoring programmes for indigenous business owners, but also support them with appropriate resources with which to operate.
“One example is a resort manager who worked with a local taxi company to gain quality vehicles with which to run their service,” she says. “The result was a sense of local pride in the business, and satisfaction from their customers. There are significant impacts from these type of partnerships on work experience, skills and ultimately career paths that bring sustainable and long-term benefits for people.
A major challenge remains to get resorts to buy their produce locally, due to standardised menus and the need for a regular committed supply to provide for them, she says. “Currently 80 per cent of food is still sought from abroad. Some will buy 30 per cent from overseas and the rest locally, but buffet menus are largely Australia and New Zealand-grown.”
Better linkages between tourism, agriculture and fisheries, and investment in technology, refrigeration and boats could make a significant contribution to local farmers, she says. “In Fiji a lot of communities get their income from resorts, and it’s important to note that new legislation passed by the Fijian government allows for that money to be distributed evenly among the people, whereas previously 45 per cent of money received went directly to local chiefs.
“For 47 out of 50 of the world’s poorest countries, tourism is one of the top three generators of foreign exchange.”
Tourism and Poverty addresses a critical question facing many academics, governments, aid agencies, tourism organisations, and conservation bodies around the world: can tourism work as a tool to overcome poverty? It presents a focused description and critique of the issues surrounding poverty and tourism.
