Published by Making Tourism Count Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership for the Local Economy in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Tourism Guidelines for Good Practice Organisation April 2006 Funded by UK Travel Foundation Brief Managing internal change 8 for developing local linkages The Issue There are many ways of developing linkages with the local economy: bringing local entrepreneurs into the supply chain, developing excursions based on local culture and life, building neighbourhood partnerships (see Figure 1 in Brief 1). Whichever type of linkage a company pursues, it means doing things differently and is likely to involve change management within the company. It is as important to plan for this as it is to plan working with local partners. Consider the opportunities Understand the challenges Many companies have good ideas about boosting It is often easier to get something going, on a local benefit from their enterprise. However, often wave of enthusiasm, than to sustain it over these are not translated into practical time. The challenge is to make it a normal part implementation. Or new initiatives stall when they of every day practice. hit operational constraints. Managing internal change within the business can make the difference If local linkages require staff to do their job between a nice idea and real impact. differently,they may run into resistance at first. If staff need to buy vegetables in a different Bringing local benefit by doing business differently place, time or quantity, to change where the means adjusting operational practices.Normal busi- tour bus goes, or rewrite guest information, ness performance is achieved, but at the same time staff need to be clear on what they must do more local impact is delivered. This differs from and why. philanthropy in that the core competencies of the business are used.It is not divorced from daily oper- If top management support is lacking, a new ations. If the local linkages are to be maintained, local initiative will stall when other priorities they need to be incorporated into the corporate come up, or when it comes to the point of agenda and operations.However,as with any change taking a risk with a new partner or allocating in operations, senior management needs to ensure some extra time to getting a local linkage that change is well planned and managed. going. Managers need to be clear on the long- term gains in order to see it through. What can you do? Good practice approaches ឡ Look at how to do business differently: how the ឡ Ensure linkages become part of daily operational company can deliver commercial goals and boost local practice,part of staff routines.For example,a new local impact in the process. Pause to consider the full range supply of table linen may be sourced initially by the of local linkage options, from procurement to champion or an external agency,but it needs to then neighbourhood partnerships (Figure 1 in the become part of the procurement network of the pro- Introduction). curement manager,so that it continues in the future. ឡ Assess the business case for your company:what are ឡ Link local products with marketing and branding. the long-term strategic priorities (consolidation,re- Make a feature of local products and provide branding,increasing visitor spend or length of stay, information to tourists (e.g. information boards and improving the local environment,cost-cutting,etc) photo galleries in hotel lobbies highlighting the local and how can local linkages contribute? Linkages with community/service providers, or brochures in the local economy may impose some short term costs, bedrooms). If local crafts are on the wall, explain what particularly regarding time,but can contribute to they are and where they are from. Reap the rewards delivering long term goals.Prioritise those that fit best. of your linkage by explaining it to tourists. ឡ Build top management support. Otherwise, when a ឡ Be strategic but remain flexible, so that ‘one thing linkage requires any change in how business is done, it leads to another’. A tiny initiative by a hotel manager will stall. to buy local crafts for a theme night can lead to much more: on-going dialogue between the Guest ឡ Innovate, think laterally and be open to new ways of Relations Officer and crafters; provision of business doing business. Encourage a new mindset among ideas, pricing information, and packaging material; colleagues. exposure visits for the crafters to other hotel events; ឡ Turn company challenges into opportunities for and then new marketing opportunities, a regular change. For example, if there is a problem with beach supply contract or an additional stop on excursions. pollution, use that as a catalyst for local linkages by ឡ Do not discount the value of innovative initiatives creating employment for cleaners, or an element of by individuals. Market-leaders are useful – in pro- joint action that includes benefits for local vendors or poor tourism as much as in business. fishermen. ឡ Appoint a champion inside the company – with resources and a mandate – to create change. This can be part of a manager’s job, but it needs to be someone Endnote: Guidance on how to manage internal corporate change for who can call on staff in different departments to implementing local linkages has been written for South African implement new linkages. Ensure staff understand the companies. See long term goal. www.odi.org.uk/propoortourism.toolsandtips.internalchange.pdf About the Briefs . Brief 1: Overview: tourism and the local The Appendix provides more economy – building linkages details, further examples, The eight Briefs in this series Brief 2: Bringing local producers into the sources, and a useful list of provide practical tips on how supply chain contacts. to develop different types of Brief 3: Building links with local farmers local linkages, drawing on The Briefs outline some of the Brief 4: Employing local staff experience in several benefits and challenges of local different countries in the Brief 5: Involving local people and linkages, and then focus on what to do. They provide tips on Caribbean ង products in tours, packages and excursions good practice mainly for hoteliers, but also for other For other Briefs in the series Brief 6: Encouraging tourists to spend in private, governmental and non- and further information see the local economy www.propoortourism.org.uk/caribbean governmental operators in Brief 7: Building neighbourhood tourism. partnerships Brief 8: Managing internal change for developing local linkages. Published by Making Tourism Count Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership for the Local Economy in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Tourism Guidelines for Good Practice Organisation April 2006 Funded by UK Travel Foundation Useful contacts and further case Appendix studies to accompany the Briefs Useful contacts and resources on pro-poor linkages The following provides a brief list of Caribbean tourism International Centre for Responsible Tourism organisations and international organisations or sites focus- (ICRT), University of Greenwich, UK. ing on issues of pro-poor or sustainable tourism. See also www.icrtourism.org the many websites listed for specific case study examples International Institute for Environment and throughout the Appendix. Development (IIED),UK www.iied.org/SM/tourism/index.html AgroTourism Linkages Centre,The Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Organisation of American States (1998); Caribbean Agriculture (IICA) Office in Barbados Tourism Survey Chelsea House, Chelsea Road, St Michael, Barbados www.oas.org Tel (246) 427 4740/1/2; Fax (246) 429 350 Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK: E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Tourism Program Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism www.odi.org.uk/propoortourism (CAST) Pan American Health Organization www.paho.org www.cha-cast.com CAST (1998) Trends in Hotel Certification and Rating Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership, UK Programs: Guidelines for the Caribbean www.propoortourism.org.uk www.cep.unep.org/issues/hotel_cert.pdf Pro-Poor Tourism Pilots in Southern Africa (South Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Africa) www.pptpilot.org.za Development Programme (CARIFORUM Tourism ‘How To…?’ series of tips and tools on local procure- Programme Unit) ment, products and partnerships: Luis G Chaves, Sustainable Policy Development Advisor www.pptpilot.org.za/IFC_tooltips.htm One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St. Michael, www.responsibletravel.com Barbados,W.I. Tel:(246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3095 Technical and Vocational Education and Training E-mail: [email protected] (TVET) Council, Barbados Communications and Research Officer: Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) E-mail: [email protected] www.onecaribbean.org Contact: Mareba M Scott, Sustainable Tourism Product Tour Operators Initiative www.toi.org.uk Specialist, Tourism Product Development Co. Ltd, Jamaica One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St. Michael, www.tpdco.org Barbados,W.I. The Travel Foundation,UK Tel:(246) 427 5242; Fax:(246) 429 3065 www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Tools and guidelines for the tourism industry: www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/tools_training__guidelines.asp Appendix | page 1 Further case studies and information sources to accompany Briefs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Notes to Brief 3 Building links with local farmers HELPING FARMERS TO BOOST SALES TO other standards are, in fact, well understood by Caribbean HOTELS farmers. Rather, the programme in St Lucia finds that it is the access to the markets of the hotel sector that is a key Getting volumes up through bulk local purchasing:Sandals constraint for farmers. In addition to boosting production, Resort and the Farmers Programme in Jamaica the programme is therefore supporting four co-operatives to strengthen marketing so that the farmers can pool the The Farmers Programme began in 1996 with ten farmers resources needed to supply volumes of crops to the hotel supplying two hotels. By 2004, there were 80 farmers sup- sector.