University of the South Pacific TS309 Tourism Business Operations Monday February 23rd 2015

1. Stuart Gow
Stuart@ResortSupportFiji.com
TS309 Tourism Business Operations
Monday February 23rd 2015

2. What IS the International definition?
 Many different
definitions over the
years
 Fiji made their own up
for a while and hoped it
would ‘stick’...
 Many think is all about
going GREEN and stuff
What does it
mean to you?

3. Ecotourism is defined as
"responsible travel to natural
areas that conserves the
environment and improves
the well-being of local
people."

4. Principles of Ecotourism
 Minimise impact
 Build environmental & cultural awareness &
respect in both visitors & hosts
 Provide :
 positive experiences for both visitors & hosts
 direct financial benefits for conservation
 financial benefits and empowerment
for local people
 Raise sensitivity to host countries' political,
environmental, and social climate.

5. 1. Conservation
2. Communities
3. Interpretation

6. Conservation
 Offering market-
linked long-term
solutions
 Provides effective
economic incentives
for conserving and
enhancing bio-cultural
diversity
 Helps protect the
natural and cultural
heritage of our
beautiful planet.

7. Communities
 Increasing local capacity
building & employment
opportunities
 An effective vehicle for
empowering local
communities around the
world to:
 fight against poverty
 to achieve sustainable
development

8. Interpretation
 Emphasis on
enriching personal
experiences
 Environmental
awareness
 Promotes greater
understanding and
appreciation for
nature, local society,
and culture.

9. Benchmark
Life is now
EASIER
We have a
standard
test/benchmark!
Just ask the 3
questions about:
1. Conservation
2. Communities
3. Interpretation

10. Simply check 3 Ingredients
 Conservation
 Does it actively conserve environment and culture?
 Communities
 Is there real capacity building and are they
empowered?
 NOT just hiring employees… ?
 Interpretation
 Directly ‘teaching’ environmental awareness and
allowing personal experiences ?
 Appreciation for nature, local society, and culture?

11. Important?
Viable?
Sustainable?

12. Which One?
 Fiji did try to set up own
based on Australian
NEAP
 Australia ECO
Certification ?
 Green Globe?
 Planeta?
 STI STEP Eco-
Certification?

13. Ecotourism Awards
 Used more than
Certification...
 Industry recognition
 Major marketing
asset

14. Should we ALL be Ecotourism?

15. Ecotourism vs. Sustainability
 Often confused as same
thing
NOT!
 Non ecotourism
companies can be
sustainable (and should
be with good CSR)
 Being GREEN is not it!
vs.

16. Who’s “Doing it Right?”

17. Namena Marine Reserve
 Kubulau Management
Resource Committee
 NGO supported

18. Rivers Fiji
 A local Fijian ecotourism
company dedicated to
sustainability and
specialising in adrenaline
rushes.
 One or two-day rafting trips
on the Luva or Upper
Navua Rivers are
guaranteed to get your
blood pumping and your
heart racing, without a
detrimental impact to the
environment

19. Bouma National Heritage Park
 Actually 4 coordinated
Ecotourism Products
 Tavoro Falls
 Waitabu Marine Park
 Vidawa Rainforest Hike
 Lavena Coastal Walk
 NZAID initial support
 bnhp.org

20. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort
 Savusavu
 Award winning
LUXURY eco-resort
 Ecotourism does
NOT mean
roughing it!

21. Waitabu Marine Park
 Part of Taveuni’s Bouma
Heritage Park
 NZAID and private
sector initial support
only
 Sustained fully internally
since 2000
 Helen’s Case Study
next…

22. Matava Resort
 Award winning eco-resort
 Matava Foundation
 52 plot organic farm &
training
 Community honey
 Chickens part of farm
 100% Solar Power
Solution
 MPA formation & support

23. Bagata Village Tour
 Wailevu, Cakaudrove
 Village Eco Tour
 handicrafts
 3 other sites in
development:
 Magic Waterfall
 Rock Pool Bathing
 Hot Springs
 Assisted by NGO (WCS)

24. Turtle Island Resort
 Eco-Luxury
 Largest Solar Plant in
tourism
 5 acres local produce farm
 Local village tourism
support (Oarsman’s Bay)

25. What is Not Ecotourism...
Common misbelieves and confusions

26. Village Based Tourism?
 NOT all village or
community based
tourism is Ecotourism...
 Nature-destructive
tourism in villages:
 Lomawai Village: Sea
Salt making by clearing
& burning mangroves...
 Forest clearing for
village plantations

27.  Anchoring
 Reef
walking
 Poling
boats
Non-sustainable Marine Tourism activities

28. Non-sustainable Tourism activities
 Local handicrafts
 Shell Markets
 Shell Collecting

29. Non-sustainable Marine Tourism activities
 Handling
corals &
other
marine
animals

30.  Use of endangered
species in decoration
and advertising
Non-sustainable Marine activities

31. Not all Resorts CAN be Ecotourism
 Aim at environmental
sustainability
 Good CSR would “lean”
many toward term
ecotourism
 Careful not to dilute or
“wash” the term
Ecotourism

32. Voluntourism?
Voluntourism Companies Ecotourism?
 GVI
 Projects Abroad
 Coral Cay Conservation
 I.C.E.
 School helpers?
 Hospital helpers?
 Kindergarten builders?
 Education Program Volunteer?
NONE HAVE DIRECT NATURE!
These do...
 Marine Science?
 Scuba diving assistant?

33. What we need to be careful of...

34. We all CANNOT all be Ecotourism
 Aim at environmental
sustainability
 Good CSR with
environmental
sustainability
 Careful not to dilute or
“wash” the term
Ecotourism
 Don’t claim to be
something you are not…

35. Follow international Standards
Fiji does not need to re-invent the
wheel
Stick to the Internationally
recognised Benchmark as a guide:
1. Conservation
2. Communities
3. Interpretation

36. Fiji has GREAT Ecotourism
 We are good at Ecotourism in Fiji
 But must be careful to know what is & isn’t
 Entire industry is not Ecotourism & never
will be
 Assist new projects aiming to be Ecotourism
to achieve the 3 benchmarks

37. Stuart Gow
Stuart@ResortSupportFiji.com

38. References
 Honey, M. (1999) Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who
Owns Paradise? Island Press: Washington, DC
 Harrison, D. (1998) Ecotourism and village-based tourism: a policy and
strategy for Fiji. Government Print, Suva, Fiji.
 TCSP (1990) Guidelines for the integration of tourism development
and environmental protection in the South Pacific. Tourism Council of
the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
 Ayala, H. (1995) From quality product to Eco-product: will Fiji set a
precedent? Tourism Management 16(1): 39-47
 King, R. and Weaver, S. (1993) The impact of the environment on the
Fiji tourism industry: a study of industry attitudes. Journal of
Sustainable Tourism 1(2): 97-111
 Weaver, S. (1992) Nature Tourism as a means of protecting indigenous
forest resources in Fiji Journal of Pacific Studies 16: 63-73.
 (1999) Fijian Ecotourism Gets NZ Govt Aid. Travel Trade April 16 1999,
p 1.