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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.451825 Pacific Peoples tourism

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    How indigenous systems and emergent leadership in the tourism sector in Vanuatu contribute to resilience in the face of shocks : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of International Development at Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-03-10) Gadsby, Wade
    The Covid-19 pandemic severely challenged the tourism-dependent economies of Small Island States. Vanuatu’s international borders were closed for two years and, with tourism income making up almost half of the country's GDP, the people of Vanuatu had to adapt to survive. Historically, Pacific Island nations have adapted and worked well through crisis events, and this study examines how Pacific people have utilised Indigenous resilience systems to respond to recent shocks. In particular, it examines how ‘emergent leadership’, defined in the literature as managing uncertainty and mitigating crisis factors (Hunt, 2019), can help to achieve resilience in the face of crises. The research sought to define key components of both emergent leadership and resilience in the tourism sphere in Vanuatu, and it highlighted the role that emergent leadership plays within the Tourism Resilience Framework – a novel approach to operationalising an Indigenous values set in the tourism sphere. This research found that there were certain key factors that contributed to resilience in Pacific contexts, specifically: traditional knowledge (kastom nolej); the informal economy (kastom ekonomi); and Plan B (vanua). These factors have been central to past adaptation in the face of crises and could inform future responses to shocks and stressors. It also found that emergent leadership materialises in a crisis, showcasing the traits of a comprehensive understanding of the situation, adaptability, passion, and also through the use of storytelling as a means to convey change – particularly in the instances of slow-burn crises. The interaction of emergent leadership's traits and key factors of resilience are portrayed through a pawpaw tree metaphor, illustrating how they inform the necessary elements of effective adaptation in the face of shocks and stressors
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    Exploring the potential of Green Tourism Bonds as a climate financing initiative in Samoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of International Development, Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Patrick, Isabella Grace
    This research aimed to explore the potential of a climate financing initiative, namely Green Tourism Bonds, in Samoa. Green Tourism Bonds are a climate financing initiative that allows the tourism sector to adapt and mitigate to the impacts of climate change through providing financial capital where needed. With only one prominent case of Green Tourism Bonds being used globally, there is a research gap in Samoa to explore how these bonds could be implemented in line with Samoan aspirations. Therefore, this research undertook an approach that is driven by the sustainable tourism development aspirations of the Samoan Tourism Authority and the Government of Samoa. The development research problem is that globally-led climate financing initiatives are hard to access for Small Island Developing States, and do not encourage them to tap into their already present forms of community resilience. An example of this resilience can be seen through Latai‐Niusulu, Binns, et al., (2020) cultural-ecological lens on climate change resilience, which directly draws from the knowledge that Samoans have been resilient throughout their history. These historic, dynamic and adaptable patterns of resilience continue to be drawn upon in the contemporary climate change environment (Latai‐Niusulu et al., 2020). This research found that for Green Tourism Bonds to have potential in Samoa, they would have to align with their sustainable tourism development and climate financing approaches. Ultimately, for climate financing to contribute to long-term, in-country resilience, cultural ecological resilience needs to be at the forefront. If it is to be connected to tourism, climate financing needs to also uphold how the sustainability principles established by the Pacific Tourism Organisation are conceptualised in Samoa. Green Tourism Bonds have made proven contributions to the sustainable tourism development in other places. However, due to the challenges posed by the economic COVID-19 recovery, the ‘newness’ of climate financing, capacity of the Government of Samoa and the tourism sector in Samoa, this approach is not recommended in the short- to medium-term in Samoa. This research connects sustainable tourism development and climate financing together in the Samoan context and recommends further options for Samoa.
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    Identifying challenges of aviation growth within the South Pacific region : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Manawatū Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Salesi, Vinolia Kilinaivoni
    The aviation and tourism industries are major cornerstones of economic and social development within the South Pacific Region (SPR). The SPR is a tourism-dependent region with air transport as the primary mode of transport for inbound tourists, given its geographical isolation from the rest of the world. Despite the importance of the aviation industry for the tourism sector and economic development within the SPR, there are continual challenges for the aviation industry within the SPR to grow and be sustainable. This PhD thesis investigates three key and related challenges facing the aviation industry within the SPR during different stages of the COVID-19 era. Chapter 1 examines the effects of the aviation sector on tourism growth within the SPR via econometric estimation for data collected from 2008 to 2018. It was found that the aviation industry has positively influenced tourism growth within the SPR, which justified government support for aviation and tourism growth during the pre-COVID-era. Chapter 2 explores the perspectives of stakeholders on aviation subsidy programmes within the SPR through interviews and thematic analysis amid COVID-19 era. It was found that the SPR countries’ aviation sectors are heavily reliant on aviation subsidies to operate and develop, but may also be subject to political influence and misuse. Because of the scale of the problem, it was noted that the SPR governments could not provide sufficient support for aviation operators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chapter 3 systematically reviews the literature and publications (2010‒2021) regarding the strategies for mitigating and controlling the impacts of pandemics on the air transport and tourism sectors during the post-COVID-19 era. The findings highlighted the importance of travel-related policies and measures (e.g., border closures and travel restrictions, quarantine and isolation, hygiene measures, virus testing, contact tracing, airport screening and other measures) for mitigating and controlling future pandemics that may happen within the SPR. Overall, the three empirical studies comprising this PhD thesis contribute to the aviation and tourism literature of a under-researched region (SPR) by providing insights from multiple dimensions, including international inbound tourism, aviation subsidies, travel-related policies and measures for future pandemics. It also provides evidence-based policymaking, pragmatic and practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to develop the SPR’s aviation, tourism and economies