COMMUNITY-BASED SUSTAINABLE ABORIGINAL TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - A PROPOSED MODEL

Transcription

1 COMMUNITY-BASED SUSTAINABLE ABORIGINAL TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - A PROPOSED MODEL George Ofori, Kapawe'no First Nation Narrows Cultural Resort Ken Hammer, Malaspina University College. This paper explores the best approach to solicit community participation in developing a sustainable Aboriginal tourism product. Focus group interview techniques were used to identify the weaknesses in past consultation processes in Aboriginal communities. A model for consultation was proposed and tested. Tourism product development in many aboriginal communities is initiated by agencies outside of the communities and often remains controlled by external agencies. Local indigenous input is usually minimal if present at all (Butler & Hinch, 1996). In the last five years, Aboriginal communities have been looking to develop tourism products within their communities (Ofori, 2000). Since tourism happens in the community, the involvement of the community is one of the key elements in ensuring the sustainability of such tourism product development. However, gaining effective input from the community in tourism product development has been a great challenge for many community leaders in Northern Alberta (Ofori, 2000). Studies of residents have indicated that community involvement in planning and development is critical to the overall sustainability of tourism in the destination (Cook 1982; Murphy 1985, in Jamal & Getz, 1995). Several researchers (Gunn 1988; Haywood 1988;Inskeep 1991; Murphyl983) have advocated that representatives from various stakeholder groups should be involved at an early stage in the planning process. Gray (in Jamal & Getz 1995) refers to the importance of involving all relevant and legitimate key actors at an early stage during collaborative decision making since "failure to include them in design stage only invite technical or political difficulties during implementation". It is against this background that research was conducted in a Northern Alberta Aboriginal Community to explore the following questions. 1. Why is it difficult in Aboriginal communities to obtain community participation in community tourism product Development? 2. Are values of community involvement in Aboriginal communities different from non-aboriginal communities? 3. What is the best approach to solicit community input in Aboriginal communities? In the case of the first and second questions, an extensive literature review on community tourism planning, and community tourism product development was conducted to identify some the best procedures of developing a sustainable Aboriginal tourism product. Having identified some supported procedures in the available literature, discussions were held with officials, local residents in Aboriginal communities, and government officials to explore whether some of the Aboriginal communities in Northern Alberta that have tried to develop tourism products followed any of the recommended procedures. Some of the conventional approaches to community tourism product development had been tried but were not successful. Why? In some cases the communities did not feel properly consulted. In others the process of approaching the community members with the tourism project was inappropriate (Ofori, 2002). These findings revealed that residents in Aboriginal communities were as much interested in being consulted as residents in non-aboriginal communities. A unique feature in the Aboriginal communities is that the First Nations have a governing body made of a Chief and Council and the Metis have a Council. Elders, also play a prominent role in the culture of the communities. Neglecting the roles that these key individuals and institutions play caused many tourism product development projects, especially those that involved cultural activities, to be unsuccessful (Ofori, 2002). Question number three was considered the most significant and was completed in three phases. The first phase was an interview of the community/economic development officers on some of the tourism product development projects or initiatives that the communities had been involved in. The second phase consisted of a literature review on sustainable community tourism development. It was identified that involving the community is key in developing sustainable tourism in Aboriginal communities (Getz & Jamal, 1994). This is due to the fact that the communities are small and very closely knit in terms of strong family links and alliances (Ofori, 2000). For the third phase, a strategy was developed to inform, educate, and solicit community input in a planned tourism project in one of the Aboriginal communities, by soliciting the consent and "blessings" of Chief and Council, elders, and a significant representation of the community. A survey was designed to identify community concerns and measure community attitudes on certain issues regarding tourism development. In order to administer this survey effectively, the Chief and Council were informed in detail about the extent to which tourism in the community could impact the whole community, and the need to have community involvement in the process. The

2 Chief and Council delegated the economic development officer to be the head of a team of community members coordinating the tourism development project and the community attitude survey preceding the implementation of the tourism project. The researcher briefed the team on the key elements of sustainable tourism and framed some of the interview questions based on the input of members of the team. The interview team knocked on every door in the community and interviewed the householders. The householders had a lot of questions on tourism as a whole. Some had sentiments against their leaders because, among others, that was the first time they were being consulted on a tourism project. Others expressed a negative impression of their community and felt there was nothing for people to come and see in their community, but were enthusiastic to see a tourism product developed in their community. The researcher used the opportunity of being in the house of the community members to explain how the tourism industry functions, and answered the ensuing questions of the householders as much as possible. The responses received form the community members were summarized and analysed to determine some of the social issues that should be addressed in a feasibility study. The feasibility addressed how the possible negative social impacts could be mitigated, viability of the project, and the magnitude at which the project should be developed. In the process, the researcher learned that commitment and dedication on the part of community members was not forthcoming as expected. It was recommended that a board of directors be formed to oversee the administration of the project. A community tourism project was initiated as a result of this exercise. The case study provided support for the following model for developing a sustainable Aboriginal Tourism product. As the model outlines, once a tourism product or project has been identified in an Aboriginal community the chief and Council or Metis Council should be informed. A research team comprising of some key community members, and some outside experts should be selected. At all stages elders should be informed. All community members have to be informed through community attitude surveys, and a combination of interviews and

3 informational exchanges. The Chief and Council or Metis Council should be informed o the result of the attitude survey. Feasibility should be conducted, and community members should be informed of the results of the study. A board of directors should be formed to oversee the implementation of the project. The project can then be implemented. References Butler, R. & Hinch, T. (1996). Tourism and indigenous people. N.Y: Thomson Business Press. Corazon, T. (Ed). (1998). Community- based sustainable tourism. A reader. Asset Press Inc. Getz, D. & Jama,T.B. (1995) Collaborative Theory and Community Tourism Planning, Annals of Tourism

4 Research, , Inskeep, E. (1991) Tourism planning, and integrated and sustainable approach, Van Nordstrand Reinhold.NY Murphy P, E. (1985), Tourism a community approach. Methuen, NY Murphy P, E (1988). Community driven tourism planning, Tourism Management. 88, , Butterworth & Co. Ofori, G. (2000). Developing a sustainable aboriginal tourism product in Big Lake Country unpublished Masters thesis, University of North London. George Ofori, Kapawe'no First Nation Narrows Cultural Resort, P.O.Box 10, Grouard, AB TOG ICO, Canada; Phone: (780) ; george@inetnorth.net Ken Hammer, Malaspina University College, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 555, Canada; Phone: (250) ext; hammerk@mala.be.ca

5 ABSTRACTS of Papers Presented at the Tenth Canadian Congress on Leisure Research May 22-25,2002 Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Abstracts compiled and edited by Edgar L. Jackson CCLR-10 Programme Committee Karen Fox Ed Jackson Gordon Walker Copyright 2002 Canadian Association for

6 The Canadian Congress on Leisure Research is held under the auspices of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies Le congres canadien de la recherche en loisir Se tient sous les auspices de L'association canadienne d'etudes en loisir BOARD OF DIRECTORS / CONSEIL D'ADMINISTRATION President / President Susan Markham-Starr Acadia University Treasurer / Tresorier Robert Soubrier Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres Past President / President-sortant Edgar L. Jackson University of Alberta Secretary / Secretaire Linda Caldwell Pennsylvania State University Directors / Directeurs Wendy Frisby, University of British Columbia Tom Hinch, University of Alberta Peggy Hutchison, Brock University Jennifer Mactavish, University of Manitoba Lisa Ostiguy, Concordia University Stephane Perrault, Universite du Quebec d Trois-Rivieres Jerry Singleton, Dalhousie University Bryan Smale, University of Waterloo Paul Wilkinson, York University