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PAPUA New Guineans going into community-based eco-tourism ventures have been cautioned to do so with great care. A consultant engaged by the European Union funded Eco Forestry Programme (EFP) made the remarks as part of her findings of the Community-based Eco-tourism Study in West New Britain which was carried out from May 24 to June 14, 2004.
The European consultant, Sabine Spohn said: “even though tourism is the world’s largest industry, accounting for more than 10 per cent of total employment, inappropriate development of tourism can have negative impacts. These can result in exploitation of natural resources, waste and pollution, depletion of cultural traditions and negative socio-economic impact on local population.”
The consultant added that “the underlying concept of eco-tourism, however, is aiming at responsible tourism, actively enhancing awareness (both by consumers and suppliers) and conservation of cultural heritage and at the same time providing alternative income sources for local people”.
The study was carried out as part of EFP’s Eco-Tourism (ECOTOUR) Support Scheme, which is one of six schemes covered by the programme. It was done in collaboration with the study on Community-based Eco-tourism Development in PNG, conducted by Mahonia Na Dari Resort and Conservation Centre, in West New Britain.
The consultant said in her 90-page report that due to PNG’s rugged terrain, the remoteness of villages, erratic infrastructure and communication problems, tourism activities will be more challenging to organize and more costly than in other countries. In addition, the issue of law and order in various locations has given PNG a bad reputation, especially in its immediate neighbour country Australia.
According to the findings, most of the selected eco-tourism sites in West New Britain had nobody keeping records of the number of visitors to the communities. In addition, none of the communities interviewed had a clear understanding about how to market their sites. The majority did not even have an idea about what products they could offer and how these could be packaged.
It is also difficult to organize the communities and for communities to run their own tourism business due to communication problems, insufficient managerial and leadership skills, mistrust, misappropriation, lack of transparency and recurrent landowner disputes.
These constraints are some of the reasons why community-based eco-tourism industry in PNG is still in its infant stage and very vulnerable to many factors which are often beyond the control of the individual community.
The consultant Sabine Spohn (left) presenting her findings at the NFS office in Port Moresby. Tourism Promotion Authority, some tour operators and NFS staff turned up for her presentation.
The European consultant, Sabine Spohn said: “even though tourism is the world’s largest industry, accounting for more than 10 per cent of total employment, inappropriate development of tourism can have negative impacts. These can result in exploitation of natural resources, waste and pollution, depletion of cultural traditions and negative socio-economic impact on local population.”
The consultant added that “the underlying concept of eco-tourism, however, is aiming at responsible tourism, actively enhancing awareness (both by consumers and suppliers) and conservation of cultural heritage and at the same time providing alternative income sources for local people”.
The study was carried out as part of EFP’s Eco-Tourism (ECOTOUR) Support Scheme, which is one of six schemes covered by the programme. It was done in collaboration with the study on Community-based Eco-tourism Development in PNG, conducted by Mahonia Na Dari Resort and Conservation Centre, in West New Britain.
The consultant said in her 90-page report that due to PNG’s rugged terrain, the remoteness of villages, erratic infrastructure and communication problems, tourism activities will be more challenging to organize and more costly than in other countries. In addition, the issue of law and order in various locations has given PNG a bad reputation, especially in its immediate neighbour country Australia.
According to the findings, most of the selected eco-tourism sites in West New Britain had nobody keeping records of the number of visitors to the communities. In addition, none of the communities interviewed had a clear understanding about how to market their sites. The majority did not even have an idea about what products they could offer and how these could be packaged.
It is also difficult to organize the communities and for communities to run their own tourism business due to communication problems, insufficient managerial and leadership skills, mistrust, misappropriation, lack of transparency and recurrent landowner disputes.
These constraints are some of the reasons why community-based eco-tourism industry in PNG is still in its infant stage and very vulnerable to many factors which are often beyond the control of the individual community.
The consultant Sabine Spohn (left) presenting her findings at the NFS office in Port Moresby. Tourism Promotion Authority, some tour operators and NFS staff turned up for her presentation.