SNV has been involved in tourism and development projects for over 15 years, changing its implementation approaches. Initially focusing on small-scale community-based tourism, SNV later integrated pro-poor sustainable tourism and private sector engagement. SNV measured development impact through value chain analyses and destination development. Key lessons include using multi-stakeholder approaches and partnerships, measuring pro-poor income generation, and demonstrating impacts. The way forward involves market-based policy, private sector involvement, capacity building, and dedicated impact measurement.

1. Lessons from SNV's involvement in
tourism and development projects
Changing implementation approaches of the last 15 years
John Hummel
Senior Adviser CBT-IRDC
PM4SD, 10.07.13

2. “Leadership and management
in sustainable tourism”
 Aim of the presentation
 Present lessons from SNV's involvement in tourism and
development projects and its implementation
approaches of the last 15 years
 Agenda
 Introduction, the materials used, and reasoning for
reflecting on SNV
 History on SNV in relation to implementation and
facilitation of tourism and development initiatives
 Measuring development impact and showing sustainable
development results
 Lessons learned, and way forward

3. John Hummel
 I am
 Senior Adviser Community Based Tourism International
Research for Development Center, Chiang Mai, Thailand
 PhD candidate “Ordering tourism, poverty reduction and
development organizations ” - Wageningen University
 I was
 (Senior Regional ) Tourism Adviser and Knowledge Network
Leader for SNV in Asia (1996-2011)

4. Tourism,
Sustainable Development,
Community Benefits
Tourism, Sustainable
Development and
Community Benefits
Tourism
Development in
partnership
• Market demand
• Value chain analysis
and development
• Partnerships; Private
Sector engagement
• Product development
Sustainable
development
• Enabling policy
environment
• Multi-stakeholder
collaboration
• Environmental, social
and cultural impacts
• PES and Climate
Change
• Development impact
measurement
Community benefits
•
Awareness, empowerme
nt, and cultural
understanding
• Regional and village
planning and
development
• Sustainable livelihoods
• Social inclusion

5. Applied research
1. Demonstrate
development impact
2. Tourism
Governance; Private
Sector engagement
3. Innovation and
joint learning in the
Greater Mekong
Subregion
Tourism
Development
in
Partnership
Sustainable
Development
Community
Benefits

6. Useful resources

7. Useful resources

9. 1. Enabling environment
 Strategy development
 Destination planning
 Multi-stakeholder platform development
 Value chain analysis and development
2. Strategic marketing support;
product development
 Promotion and branding
 Supporting private sector campaigns
 Pro-poor product development
3. Delivery on the ground
 Capacity building and training
 Responsible enterprise development
 Impact measurement

11. SNV - Capacity development
for impact (2007 - 2011)
 SNV‟s core business is capacity development to support local
actors to strengthen their performance in realising poverty reduction
and good governance; engage much more strongly with local
capacity builders
 Two impact areas (+ Governance for empowerment)
 Basic services include Water sanitation & hygiene; Renewable
energy, Health and Education
 Production, Income and Employment include
Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism
 Subsidy agreements with Dutch government in 2002 (2002-
2006), and 2006 (2007-2015).

12. Development
Approach
Main concepts and ideas in
relation to the tourism -
development nexus
Tourism phases
in SNV
Main elements and concepts of
the tourism-development
nexus in SNV
1950s
and
1960s
Modernisation Numbers of tourists, contribute
to economic growth,
employment generation and
foreign exchange; trickle-down
SNV is not involved in tourism for
poverty reduction
SNV‟s approaches focus on a
´process approach´ and is target-
group oriented
1970s Underdevelop
ment/
dependency
Tourism is associated with
dependency on foreign capital
and expertise, growing social and
economic disparities; undermines
local cultures
1980s Neo-liberalism
(Washington
consensus)
Private sector tourism
development; primacy of the free
competitive markets,
privatization as the way out
1990s Alternative/
sustainable
development
Small scale community based
tourism / ecotourism/
sustainable tourism
Phase 1. Before
1995
Involved, but only through
scattered studies and
consultancies.
Phase 2. 1995-
1999
Strong focus on small-scale
tourism development (ecotourism,
community based tourism).
End
1990s
Beyond the
impasse: a
„searching‟
paradigm
No „magic story‟ for development
Tourism as a complex system in
which local people may be able
to resist, subvert, manipulate or
transform tourism
Pro-poor tourism, Public private
partnerships
Phase 3. 2000-
2003
„Phasing out‟ of tourism projects,
focus on advisory services and
capacity development, growth of
the SNV tourism practice in Asia.
Phase 4. 2004-
2006
Pro-poor sustainable tourism as
„practice area‟; integration of
MDGs, remarkable growth of
tourism in SNV.
Phase 5. 2007 -
2011
Re-confirmation of pro-poor
sustainable tourism as a „value
chain‟; focus on Public Private
Partnerships (multi-stakeholder
approaches).

13. SNV in
Asia
Till 2001
From projects to
capacity development
2001-2006
Focus on (advisory)
practice
2006-2011
Focus on impact
SNV
approach
• Own implemented
projects (integrated
rural development and
sustainability)
• Capacity
strengthening; projects;
mediation and services
between organizations
South and North
• Focus on target group,
empowerment
• Advisory
practice/capacity
development
• Introduction of PPT and
MDGs, and a more explicit
focus on poverty reduction
• Both Private Sector
Development (PSD) and
Natural Resource
Management (NRM)
• In 2004, SNV selects
PPST as emerging
„practice area‟
• Focus on development
impact, stronger involvement
of private sector, capacity
development
• More focus on pro-poor
tourism development
• Introduction of VCA&D;
Destination development;
Responsible Business in Tourism
• Sector coordination and policy
making
• Focus on Public Private
Partnerships
Tourism
Initiatives
• Tourism as a
component of larger
Integrated Rural
Development Projects
(KLDP/DPP)
• Research on demands
of tour operators for
local products and
services
• CBT in Lao PDR, Vietnam,
as part of NRM
• Tourism included in PSD
in Nepal and Bhutan
• Sustainable policy and
law in Vietnam and Bhutan
and pro-poor tourism
policy in Nepal;
ecotourism strategies in
Lao PDR and Cambodia
• VCA&D studies and
programme designs (Laos,
Nepal, Bhutan – GHT in Nepal)
• Multi-stakeholder destination
development programmes
(Mekong Discovery Trail; Nabji
Trail; GHT in Nepal; Northern
Highlands Trail in Vietnam)
• Responsible Business in
Tourism programmes (MAST
Nepal)
Advisers One adviser in 1999 (in
Nepal), four advisers by
2001 (Nepal, Vietnam,
Lao PDR)
Almost 30 advisers in 2005
and 2006 (of which 1/3 in
Lao PDR)
Gradual reduction of number of
tourism advisers to around 20
(on average four advisers per
country) in 2010

14. Measuring impact in
tourism and development

15. Measuring impact in
tourism and development
(Mitchell & Ashley, 2010), p. 18

16. VCA&D and
Destination Development
 Market intelligence, product
development, marketing, an
d branding
 Destination/Circuit
Development
 Supply chains
Agriculture
Handicrafts
„Responsible‟ Private
Sector Development
Local economic development
Multi-stakeholder approaches
Infrastructure development
Excursions
Enabling
Environment

17. 17

18.  Detailed Analysis
 Scale of pro-poor income generation;
likelihood of success
 Benefiting the poor does not
automatically mean working with
them
 Entire sector (and Destination) as unit
of analysis
 Challenging assumptions and
generating empirical base
 Benchmarks
 Combining a wide perspective of
multiple strands and actors
 Drawing on toolbox of others 18

19. Challenges & key issues
 What is being measured? Not only focus on
poverty reduction/local employment & income
generation, but also on environmental and social
impacts
 What does this PPI (Pro-Poor Income) represent?
Is it only %? How many poor are benefiting? How
much? Do they get out of poverty? For how long?
 Different stake-holders have different needs with
impact measurement. For what and whom are we
measuring impacts, and in whose interest?
 Who is in the lead/responsible for measurement?

20. Nabji Trail, Bhutan
Base-line, impact
assessments, and critical
success moments

21. Critical success factors
1. Multi-stakeholder approach
2. Private sector coordinated
3. Impact assessment
4. Familiarization tour for villagers
Poverty reduction through
partnerships
21

22. “We no longer travel to Bumthang and Langthil for wage
work, and instead remain in the village and farms, in
addition to serving tourists,” said a resident of Jangbi
village. “Tourism revenue has saved me seeking loan from
others to pay land tax and education fees for my children.”

23. Great Himalayan Trail Development
Programme
ONE TRAIL TO
RULE THEM ALL
The Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme
SNV NEPAL

24. Making very good progress. All output indicators
are being achieved, or exceeded, in all areas
except those relating to data collection
Focused upon a unique and exceptionally strong
brand; has strong private sector linkages –
and, critically, is centred around facilitating
business and enterprise linkages; builds upon
previous tourism projects most notably TRPAP
Enjoys strong political and government support
Key actors and agencies in Kathmandu have a
far greater knowledge and a much deeper
understanding of responsible tourism planning
and management systems than was present 10-
15 years ago.

25. The way forward
• Market-based policy and planning models; destination
development approach
• Involvement of private sector/market-based solutions; work
with champions
• Use frontrunner organizations for creative industry models;
innovative tourism development
• Keep pro-poor development focus; consider scale income
generation and likelihood of success
• Improve capacity of stakeholders involved; develop multi-
stakeholder Destination Management Organizations
• Demonstrate pro-poor impact; dedicate resources to impact
measurement

26.  John Hummel, Senior Adviser,
Community Based Tourism International
Research for Development Center
 johnhummeltourism@gmail.com
 John_h@payap.ac.th
Thanks