Basing Tourism in Aboriginal Community: Defining Success

1. Basing Tourism in Aboriginal Community: Defining Success TRMT 396 Lecture #3 Dan McDonald

2. Going beyond the economic… • Community-based tourism as growth ‘within’ context • Control not just involvement • Tourism as complimentary not substitutive • Internal rather than external drivers ( or dual) • Participatory stakeholders not just beneficiaries • Long-term communal enterprise requires long-term commitment by all Notzke, 2006 Notzke, 2006

3. Types of Community-based Enterprises • Totally owned and managed by community • Family or group initiatives in community • Joint venture with outside business partner • Is there an implied hierarchy based upon ‘control’? • Is do we assess solely on benefit? Wood (2002) in Notzke

4. Issues in Sustaining Success • Connecting to market an issue – rural/remote↓ access to tools of tourism communication • Unequal distribution of opportunity & benefits • Vulnerability to external shocks, shifting trends • Dependence on continued external funding with limited local capital source

5. Bell’s Typology Revised Community Stewardship Colton & Whitney-Squire (2010)

6. Bell’s Typology in Detail CS Environmental Stewardship & Culturally Informed Management

7. The focus on aboriginal community • Moving forward can’t be based on dependency • History of colonization led to dislocation from community history and weakened its bond • Revitalizing community often a process of remembering and re-membering • Going forward depends on strengthening relationships within & without

8. A picture of a Vibrant Community(self-conscious traditionalism) • Wholeness with Diversity • Shared Culture based on known tradition • Open Communication • Respect & Trust • Group maintenance & pride • Participatory & Consensus based decision making • Youth empowered • Extensive positive social, political & economic relationships with other communities Alfred (2009)

9. Community-based View of ‘Success’ Factors • Improved Livelihoods • Local Economic Development • Commercial Viability • Collective Benefits (social projects, infrastructure) • Social Capital & Empowerment (equity, decision making, local leadership, low impact) • Sense of Place (pride, revitalization, heritage) • Education • Conservation & Environment (sustainable use, monitoring, protection) • Tourism ( ↑experience, awareness) • Other (investment, sufficient time, replication) Goodwin & Santilli (2009)

10. Pro-Poor: Does the Metric Fit? • “Growth is pro=poor if it enables poor people to realize the value of their asset base, which includes their culture” • Assets/Capital include: • Financial • Human • Natural • Physical • Social Goodwin, 2007

11. Ways for Tourism to Reach Aboriginal People who are Poor • Direct employment • Supplying goods & services • Direct sales to tourists • Often informal • Tourism micro-enterprises • Taxes/levies on tourism revenues • Voluntary giving by tourists and/or enterprises • $, goods, time, etc • Investment in infrastructure Goodwin, 2007

12. The Big Picture • “Sustaining economic development in Aboriginal communities requires a nation buildingapproach rather than a jobs and income approach” (Colton & Harris, 2007) • Links to the Harvard Project notion of the importance of sovereignty • Ultimate measure of success

13. Cultural Centre Case Studies • Quw’utsun Cultural & Conference Centre • Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre • U’Mista Cultural Centre • Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre • Nk’Mip Cultural Centre

14. Additional Sources • Alfred, T. (2009). Peace, Power and Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto. 2nd ed. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.