3.3. ADQUISICIÓN DE IMAGEN MEDIANTE LA CÁMARA ANALÓGICA
4.3.7. DESARROLLO DEL VI PARA ADQUISICIÓN DE IMAGEN DE LA
With regards to the first and second objectives, the study concludes that residents of Port Vila are aware of the impacts of cruise ship tourism. The foundations of cruise ship tourism were established during the colonial era; this means that the respondents have had a long exposure to cruise ship tourism development. This exposure has contributed to an increase in their level of awareness concerning the industry. As a result, many of the respondents have a more western conceptualisation of ‘tourists’, “tourism’ and ‘cruise ship tourist’.
Overall, the respondents have very positive perception of the cruise ship tourism. Many of them recognise the significant role this industry plays for small informal businesses like market vendors and taxi operations. These small operators felt that cruise ship tourism was more valuable to them than resort- or land-based tourism, and embraced cruise ship tourism as an important source of empowerment; however, other small operators do not perceived it this way. Research has shown that such small-scale tourism schemes, like the market vendors and taxi operations, are more sustainable because these opportunities enable the local people to own and control the enterprises.
The respondents (including those who do not gain any economic returns from the industry) perceived cruise ship tourism in terms of the income and employment opportunities it provides. It is also seen by respondents as contributing to the development of social skills, such as language and tour-guiding skills for cruise ship passengers. Some also attributed working with cruise ship tourists as helping them to gain confidence in dealing with
international tourists and assisting them to acquire management skills to operate their small business ventures. They also acknowledged that cruise ship tourism can revitalise traditional crafts.
The study also revealed that respondents are aware of the negative consequences of cruise ship tourism development. They recognised that cruise ship tourism can bring changes to traditional cultures, whereby some aspects of the traditional cultures become commodities to meet tourists’ demands. This leads to the cultures losing their traditional meaning.
Respondents also acknowledged that participation in the industry can lead to some residents adopting some of the negative behaviours of cruise ship tourists that are against the local traditional values. The naghol jump was cited by some as an example. Respondents were also aware that participation in the cruise ship tourism could lead to the bastardisation of some of their traditional crafts, which are reproduced to meet tourists’ expectations and have no cultural significance – as seen in the production of synthetic grass-shirts.
Some blamed cruise ship tourism for contributing to social problems like prostitution and drug abuse. However, as previous studies have acknowledged, tourism is often used as a scapegoat and unjustifiably accused of being the sole socio-cultural change agent in host communities (Crick, 1989; Hashimoto, 2002). Respondents were also concerned about the younger people adopting some of the negative aspects of tourism culture. The issue of crowding and traffic congestion was also mentioned by respondents. In addition, they raised concerns over the interruption of public transportation services during cruise ship visits to Port Vila. Some of the respondents also felt marginalised by the unequal distribution of cruise ship tourism benefits that mostly benefited a few foreigners, including the elite naturalised Ni Vanuatu.
To address the third objective of the study, it can be concluded that residents of Port Vila have developed coping strategies to deal with the impacts of cruise ship tourism. The study found that there were various factors influencing how respondents view the impacts from cruise ship tourism; these include the level of contact they have with cruise tourists and the economic
benefits they receive from the industry. Both those who benefit from cruise tourism and those who do not benefit viewed the industry favourably. However, there were differences in their level of tolerance towards the industry. When economic benefits are perceived, respondents tend to have a higher level of tolerance, subsequently leading to the coping strategy they employ to deal with any perceived impacts. This finding supports Ap and Crompton’s (1993) embracement and Dogan’s (1989) tolerance strategies, where some residents eagerly embrace tourism while others tolerate it based on their perception of impacts. Respondents who
tolerate cruise ship tourists are able to make adjustments to any perceived negative impacts by using local knowledge – as seen in respondents shopping in back street shops or delaying their activities until later to avoid tourist crowds or disruption of public transportation. These actions resulted in coping strategies consequently benefiting the back street shops.
Respondents who embraced cruise ship tourists were those who depended on them, and wanted to see further increase in the number of future visits. This supports previous studies that economic dependence will determine residents’ attitudes towards tourism (Horn & Simmons, 2002). The study also found that there were some sectors within the tourism industry that viewed cruise ship tourism with indifference or apathy because they were not receiving any economic benefits from the industry. An example is small Ni Vanuatu tour operators, who do not receive any pre-booked shore tours from the cruise ship company. However, they benefited from visitors who arrive by air. The implication for the differences in opinion is that the government needs to consult every stakeholder in its planning as to how to best manage the impact of this industry.
The study also revealed that some residents are aware of the consequences that cruise ship tourism can have on their traditional cultures when performing solely for the tourists. They maintained a boundary over which aspects of traditions should be presented to the tourists and which should be preserved for the local people, as seen in the naghol jump.
Another coping strategy that this study noted was the revitalisation strategy by Dogan (1989), where cultures are revived and accorded new meaning to become tourist attractions. An illustration is the Ekasup kastom village. The enforcement of the traditional practice of copyright of the Ambrym carvings is another example.
Residents who do not benefit from cruise ship tourism needed to reschedule or reorganise themselves to cope with any perceived impacts. Similar to Brown and Giles’ (1994)
reorganisation strategy, Dogan’s (1989) adjustment strategy, and Ap and Crompton’s (1993) retreatism strategy, some residents made adjustments to their daily activities to avoid some of the social impacts of cruise tourists. This is based on their level of local knowledge. Others avoid going home at lunch hour, as it takes longer to wait for public transportation. There were others who delay doing their activities in town until the tourists have left, while others avoid the tourist shops. This finding corresponds with Ap and Crompton’s (1993)
observations that residents reorganise themselves to avoid the inconvenience caused by tourism, because they have accepted it as a reality for living in the community and have accommodated it.
The fourth objective of this study was to assess the suitability of existing models of host adjustment to resident’s responses to cruise ship tourism in Port Vila. This study found that existing models are useful in understanding how residents cope with cruise ship tourism. However, not all models will be applicable in every situations. In Vanuatu’s situation, the short-term nature of cruise ship visits, the historical development of cruise visits, the frequency of visits, and the economic dependence on the sector, all contributed to how residents respond to cruise ship tourism and the coping strategies they used to deal with the impacts. Furthermore, there are also consequences as to how residents cope with the impacts, as seen in empowerment and dependency.
The fifth objective of the thesis was to offer some recommendations, formulate suggestions for managing any long-term impacts, and make suggestions for future planning and policy regarding this type of tourism. These recommendations are further discussed in Section 7.5.