Lincoln University Digital Dissertation Copyright Statement The digital copy of this dissertation is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). This dissertation may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: you will use the copy only for the purposes of research or private study you will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the dissertation and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate you will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from the dissertation. Beach Fale Tourism for Pro-poor Development: A Study of Expectations in Rural Samoa __________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fufilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in International Rural Development at Lincoln University By Angela M. Haughey __________________ Lincoln University 2007 Abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fufilment of the requirements for the degree of M.Appl.Sc. Beach Fale Tourism for Pro-poor Development: A Study of Expectations in Rural Samoa By Angela M. Haughey Beach fale accommodation is a unique tourism product in the Pacific, offering low-key, basic holidays in rural Samoan villages. Having gradually evolved from day-rentals of traditional open-sided housing on the sand, beach fale businesses allow tourists to spend a night in simple accommodation, with meals, at low cost. As traditionally developed, beach fale are well-integrated with culture, aiga (family) and community. Beach fale businesses enable Samoan families with access to beach land to work within their villages, and provide a range of livelihood benefits including cash income, education, health, communications and transportation benefits. Recent research has indicated that beach fale are evolving away from their low-key nature towards enclosed units, westernised food and facilities, and adopting a more western approach to business where fa’aSamoa (‘The Samoan Way of Life’) and family interaction may play a lesser role. This dissertation examines the influence that aspects of beach fale tourism, particularly the process of evolution, may have upon the livelihoods of owners, their families and communities. Using a qualitative approach, the research identifies beach fale owner and tourist expectations in relation to beach fale evolution as well as the beach fale experience. Areas in which expectations are successfully matched, supporting the success of beach fale, and the subsequent provision of a range of tangible and intangible livelihood benefits, are discussed. Livelihood decisions in Samoa are made within fa’aSamoa; the beach fale cannot be separated from the cultural context they operate within. Therefore, the research also examines the interaction of expectations with fa’aSamoa. ii The extent to which beach fale tourism extends benefits to rural communities is important to assist business integration with fa’aSamoa, and to aid the reduction of inequities and socio-cultural problems. This is assessed through an examination of ways in which beach fale tourism could be considered ‘pro-poor’ – an approach which seeks to provide “net benefits to the poor” through a range of context-specific strategies. The outcomes of the research suggest that the beach fale businesses participating in the research are diverse in business style, priorities and desired livelihood benefits. Beach fale evolution is occurring in response to the specific needs of particular tourist markets. In meeting these, beach fale owners participating in the research choose to prioritise some livelihood benefits over others. They are forced to trade-off modernisation and participation in the increasingly influential globalised cash economy, with maintenance of their traditional lifestyles within fa’aSamoa. The different livelihood benefits that different beach fale owners prioritise leads to diversity between the businesses in the research. While largely happy, some tourists interviewed had expectations that fell outside the culturally-integrated management of some businesses, and were not met. However there is still enough variation to match the type of beach fale to the requirements of the tourist. The beach fale are providing desired livelihood benefits to fale owners and their families, yet are largely not pro-poor – there are few economic linkages to encourage the spread of benefits into the community. This is an area for future research attention. Keywords: Samoa, livelihoods, beach fale tourism, pro-poor tourism, development, modernisation, globalisation, beach fale evolution iii Acknowledgements This dissertation could not have been completed without the support of several people. Firstly I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Miranda Cahn. Her patience, dedication and enthusiasm, as well as her willingness to go the extra mile, are deeply appreciated. Fa'afetai tele lava to my gracious participants; beach fale owners, tourists and industry representatives in Samoa – this study could not have been completed without you. Thank you for your interest, for offering your time, and for your valuable insights. I would like to thank Mr Jim Woods, who offered advice in the early stages of this study, the staff of the Outrigger Hotel, Apia, for letting me hog their telephone (among their many kindnesses) and the inspiring Dr Steve Brown, who took me under his wing in Samoa and offered advice, encouragement, coconut bread, and plenty of literature! To my International Rural Development class at Lincoln University – thank you for your ideas and for your moral support, good luck with wherever your plans take you. Last but not least – my family – my parents Peter and Sally, my brothers and my sister for their encouragement and belief in me - and my grandmother Molly; with thanks for her kind support and her hot winter soups! iv Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................IV CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................V GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................. IX ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... IX CHAPTER 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 1.1 MOTIVATION FOR RESEARCH ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 RESEARCH AIM ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................... 2 1.4 INTRODUCTION TO SAMOA.................................................................................................... 3 Plate 1. Map of Samoa. Source - Samoan Tourism Authority, 2007 ................................. 3 Plate 2. Location of Samoa. Source - Hema Maps Pty Ltd, Australia ............................... 4 1.5 STRUCTURE OF DISSERTATION .............................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2.0 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT............................................................ 7 2.1 THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS APPROACH ........................................................................ 7 2.2 INTRODUCTION TO FA’ASAMOA............................................................................................ 8 2.3 THE MORAL ECONOMY ........................................................................................................ 11 2.4 SAMOAN POVERTY/HARDSHIP CONTEXT............................................................................. 12 2.5 THE IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON SAMOA ...................................................................... 14 2.6 NEED FOR CASH INCOME ..................................................................................................... 16 2.7 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES IN SAMOA: MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES............................... 17 CHAPTER 3.0 TOURISM IN SAMOA: ISSUES AND CONTEXT...................................... 20 3.1 TOURIST MOTIVES ............................................................................................................... 20 3.2 EXPERIENTIAL SUSTAINABILITY.......................................................................................... 21 3.3 SAMOAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................... 22 3.4 THE BEACH FALE ................................................................................................................. 23 3.5 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR BEACH FALE TOURISM........................................................... 27 3.6 LIVELIHOOD BENEFITS OF BEACH FALE TOURISM ............................................................... 29 3.7 THE CHANGING FACE OF BEACH FALE TOURISM: BEACH FALE EVOLUTION........................ 30 CHAPTER 4.0 BEACH FALE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT ..................................... 34 4.1 COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM ...........................................................................................