Waitabu Marine PArk Business Planning Realities
Presented to USP Tourism Students (final year)
TS309 Tourism Business Operations
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
The University of the South Pacific
April 2018
BY Helen Sykes
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2. Waitabu village, Taveuni Island,
Republic of Fiji
Waitabu, a traditional Fijian village, is on Taveuni, the third largest island in
the Fijian Archipelago.
3. Waitabu village
Waitabu has 25 houses and 129 inhabitants, living in a
collectively owned traditional village unit.
They are financially dependant on farming cash crops
such as Dalo (Taro), and Yagona (Kava) roots crops, and
on subsistence fishing for the protein in their diet.
4. Socio-economics
2007: Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas (FLMMA) network
socioeconomic survey:
Material wealth status of the community was average,
with an average income per household of F$120 / month
(highly variable as monthly income depends on sales of farm products)
Most people rely heavily on farming for subsistence and commercial livelihood.
5. 1989: Bouma Heritage Park
1989: Cash offered by logging company to cut hardwood in Bouma District
Assessment for protecting Fijis tropical forest by
Fiji Native Lands Trust Board, &
New Zealand Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.
Locals opted to preserve the forests rather than award a
logging contract: Tourism instead of toothpicks.
The Bouma Environmental Tourism Project:
Long-term commitment by
New Zealand Overseas Development Agency (NZODA) (now NZAID)
with National Trust of Fiji the Bouma National Heritage Park
Objectives:
1. Protect the Vanua (the four communities) Bouma,
forest and ecosystems, including the marine areas of Bouma
2. To create sustainable livelihoods for the four villages
3. To preserve natural and cultural traditions where possible
4. To have projects managed by and for the local communities
www.boumafiji.com
6. 1998: Sacred Water
1989: First Bouma Heritage Park projects:
Korovou Waterfall Park
Lavena Coastal Walk
1998: Additional projects:
Waitabu Marine Park
Vidawa Rainforest Hike
All projects involve conservation of natural
resources, supported by direct tourism income,
managed by communities as cooperatives.
Development and training through
Tourism Recreation Conservation Consultants
(TRC) of New Zealand https://www.trctourism.com
and Resort Support of Fiji
https://www.resortsupportfiji.com
Waitabu Marine Park has now had 20 years of marine protection, and annual biological
monitoring of the area, and 17 years of snorkel tourism run by the community
In Fijian Wai-tabu means Sacred or Forbidden Water
www.waitabu.org
7. Waitabu Marine Park
Marine Protected Area (MPA):
Shallow fringing reef area
900 m long by 300 m wide,
from beach to 100m off the reef slope,
including a deepwater channel and
a sea grass bed.
April 1998: Tabu declared at village level,
openended with no fixed term
Agreement by other villages in community
recognition at Tikina District level
Agreement by other districts
recognition at Provincial Council level
8. Park Business Structure
Registered as a Co-operative business, in the same way as many community group
fishing or farming projects
Has to have:
10 or more members who are above the age of 18 years
objects and operations of the proposed co-operative
a list of members and a record of probable share capital contribution
by-laws
registration as a business entity
a register of members
feasibility study report or business plan giving all budget plan estimates and cash
flow forecast of the proposal
See Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism http://www.mitt.gov.fj/index.php/divisions/department-of-cooperatives-businesses
The Waitabu project has a committee consisting of:
Chairman
Treasurer
Representatives from each of the 3 Mataqali
9. Park Management
The committee meets quarterly, and appoints two officers
(sometimes the same person) who are paid per visitor:
Receptionist
Maintaining the office
Answering the phone
Taking bookings.
Informing the Project Manager when guests are coming.
Project Manager
Organising Snorkel Guides
Organising Boat Captain and Fuel
Organising Refreshments
Organising maintenance and repair
Snorkel Guides, Boat Captain, and Refreshment Providers are also paid per visitor.
10. Boat and office donation
Office
provided in 2006
by NZAID through
National Trust of
Fiji, opened by NZ
High Commissioner
Boat donated in 2005 by Fiji Water and Quiksilver clothing, through Reef Check
11. Tourism started after 3 years
For the first 3 years the reef was left undisturbed to recover from many years
of subsistence fishing.
After 3 years of marine protection (2001), snorkelling tourism was started,
involving all mataqali within the community.
Local youths receive annual
training as snorkel guides and in
First Aid, and take part in annual
biological monitoring.
12. Ecological Improvements
Results:
Increased fish populations within the MPA after 3 years
Increased invertebrate populations after 5 years
Increased coral and decreased algal cover still on-going
13. Main Markets
Regular visitors from
resorts on Taveuni
Island
Occasional visits from
education-based groups
such as overseas
universities
Occasional visits from
small nature-based
cruise ships
Homestays for
researchers and tourists
14. Tourism product
Half day trip including ride to MPA on traditional Fijian Bamboo Bilibili,
snorkelling in MPA, tea and entertainment in village originally F$50
Proceeds divided up immediately to:
Management, Snorkel Guides, Tea ladies, Boat captain
Balance to project funds
Split into traditional community commitments and
fund for childrens school fees.
15. Visitor numbers
From 2011 to 2017 the Marine Park received 3,044 visitors
The park hosts an average of 17 visitors per month, or 207 per year
No visitors in late 2002/ early 2003 due to a community conflict over boat use.
In most months, regular tourist visitor numbers were between 0 and 20 per month.
The highest number was 44 in July 2013
In other months, visitor numbers were increased by small nature-based cruise ships
with up to 90 visitors, or student groups of 12 30 students.
16. Trends in visitor numbers
Busiest months are July and October, when student groups and cruise ships
visit. (Variation is high in October because cruise ships do not visit every year)
Visitor numbers peaked in 2008/2009/ 2014 due to cruise ship visits.
Otherwise the trend has not grown as a business should.
Note that 2002, 2016 and 2017 had the same numbers, showing no overall
improvement. These were years without student groups or cruise ships.
17. Income
Between 2001 and 2017 the park earned an estimated gross total of F$130,408
Monthly average gross income is F$786, or F$9,256 per year
Earnings are much boosted by cruise ship visits, which can bring F$10,000 in a single day.
Regular visitor earnings dropped in 2007 when a reduced rate backpacker trip was
introduced, which failed to increase visitor numbers, but reduced earnings per head.
This was only just stopped in 2018.
Earnings in 2008 were raised by addition of T shirt sales and a donation box.
18. Challenges and Obstacles
Lack of understanding of business practices:
Not restocking retail products
Dependence on donations rather than re-investment, particularly
of snorkel equipment and boat maintenance
Lack of marketing
Reluctance to co-market or pay commissions
No internet presence
Difficulty in maintaining reliable communications
Poor profit margin
Recent imposition of FNPF and Taxation on such a small business
Lack of quality control preventing raising of fees and diminishing
resort confidence
Community politics
Jealousies if one person gets paid too much
Domination by one family or mataqali
19. Good ideas that have not succeeded
Reduced rate trip for backpackers
Reduced income without raising visitor numbers
Camping
A campground was added, but was
mostly only used by scientific
monitoring teams.
There have been fewer than 20
camping tourists, and these raised
concerns about cultural impacts.
After 5 years tents broke, and not replaced. Ground destroyed in Cyclone Winston.
Website
2 websites have been created, but without regular email and phone contacts
are not useful to create bookings
www.waitabu.org
20. Future tourism avenues
Student groups, in homestays. More profitable, more easily organised within
the village milieu, and also more culturally sensitive.
Special interest nature-tourism groups to do all 4 of the Bouma Heritage
Park trips as a package.
These will take a great deal of training and discussion amongst the community,
but should be more profitable and sustainable.
In all enterprises it is necessary to concentrate on
mechanisms to ensure that all income generation
opportunities are fairly shared between families and clans
21. Community perceptions
of the importance of the MPA
Community dependence
Livelihood from harvested marine resources is minimal.
Villagers are more reliant on agriculture for cash income
The important benefits and services derived from the MPA
Food security,
Monetary (Tourism)
Future reserve for natural resources (Fish for the Childrens Future)
Tourists / visitors to the MPA
Important as a source of supplemental income
The highest priority threat to the MPA
Poaching
Environmental knowledge
Moderate amongst villagers
Good amongst snorkel guides
Environmental attitudes
towards long-term commitment
and participation in the MPA
Positive in all community members
(FLMMA) network
socioeconomic survey 2007
22. Participation in biological monitoring
Raises awareness of the functions of the MPA
Establishes feelings of ownership of project
Reinforces commitment to the project
Long term project
MPA is now permanent in peoples minds.
Children have grown up with the concept
of marine protection for the past 20 years.
Some of them are now snorkel guides in the park.
Income generation through tourism
Supplementary cash income
reinforces ownership and
importance of protected area,
but it is important not to raise
unrealistic expectations and
to manage conflicts.
Reinforcement of conservation
23. Conclusions
Marine Conservation is very close to the hearts of Fijian people.
who often depend on subsistence fishing for protein, if not for cash income.
Involvement in MPA activities and work stronger ownership and connectedness
to the project than may be achieved if work is entirely done by an outside agency.
Tourism activities in rural communities take a great deal of work and support,
and are unlikely to contribute a large amount of income generation in early years.
Tourism can be used
to supplement income,
raise awareness and education on
environmental issues,
and reinforce the value of an MPA.
The trick is not just how to start a project,
it is how to create long-term
sustainability.
Community involvement and income
generation can help to achieve this.
24. Please come and see us!
Support marine conservation by visiting
Waitabu Marine Park www.waitabu.org