Assignment 2 - Article review assignment

(Individual Report) - 20%

Introduction

The map of tourist destinations has significantly changed as transportation

access is improved, making travel now available for the mass market.
Specifically, tourists may now readily visit remote islands by different means of
convenient transportation. The case of St Helena Island, which is often regarded
as one of the most remote places on earth, has put effort in boosting tourism as a
key to economic development. The case of this island therefore will be analyzed
to find the most suitable tourism approach to a specific remote location, based
on tourism concept and theory. First of all, we will identify the opportunity and
challenge St Helena’s facing, thereafter raise an action plan towards the
approach of sustainable tourism development, which is considered the most
suitable approach for these areas. Last but not least, lessons learned from St
Helena will be applied under the context of Vietnam.

Part 1: Opportunity and challenge identification

- Opportunity:
Clearly stated, St Helena is small and isolated. Although isolation is sometimes
seen as a disadvantage by goods traders internationally, it may also be
advantageous for tourism since it tends to make the location more alluring and
unique, particularly in the case of tiny islands. Small islands are becoming more
popular destinations for vacations, according Gartázar and Marin (1999), who
claim that "islands are the second most significant holiday destination after the
category of historic cities." .

Travelers who visit this island might be surprised by the fact that there are no
other tourist businesses on the island. This is because St Helena provided a
distinctive history, culture and natural resources. First, the island's historical
connections to well-known people like Napoleon Bonaparte and Zulu King
Dinuzulu, make its history famous. The island's strength also comes from its
pristine, unspoiled natural environment, as the island's unique microclimate is a
big lure for those seeking an authentically natural experience. Additionally, not
only culture may play a significant role in how tourism develops, but also can
have a positive impact on the local population's overall growth. Being isolated,
the St Helena community is distinct and is mostly separated from outsiders.
Therefore, culture does more than only draw visitors; it can also influence how
tourism develops. Together, natural and cultural capital serve as a tourism
magnet by offering the attractions and experiences that many visitors require,
such as beaches, unique cuisine, cultural events, attractive villages, etc.

In addition, the coordination of tourism development can be effectively

facilitated by the characteristic of small size, and make it easier to innovate,
adapt and change towards market demands and other priorities (Croes 2006). As
a result, the island is expected to institute rapid microeconomic reforms, shifting
investments in ways that quickly alter the prospects for economic development.
Since St Helena is small, it has higher opportunities and strength to boost the
economy, specifically by giving themselves a coherent brand and thus, to signal
that they offer a niche product in terms of tourism.

- Challenges:

However, St Helana is also facing numerous challenges, the most significant

problem is isolation from the global world. Transport issues have established the
isolation and separateness of most islands for hundreds of years, which also
applied to St Helena. When the flight capacity is limited, and the cost of flight is
relatively high, it is unsurprising that planes to St Helena are rarely full, and
there tourists opt to use boats. Caraiani (et al., 2017) assert that accessibility
through various modes of transportation is a crucial factor when choosing a
vacation location, particularly for those traveling abroad. Since St Helena is
difficult to access, it is facing the biggest problem of tourism.

Since their resources are few and their geographical area is tiny and remote,
their economic base is often fairly restricted. The majority of the islands have
limited populations and a consequently small domestic market, and they are
often inaccessible to bigger markets. According to Harrison (2003), poor
transportation infrastructure, difficulty accessing often isolated regions, a lack of
relevant skills, and insufficient local capital sometimes limit economic growth in
tiny island republics (Harrison, 2003: 7). In fact, as St Helena is inadequate of
facilities, the infrastructure is limited and accomodation can not be fully
provided for the expected number of visitors expected. As a result of these
constraints, remote islands are less resilient to external shocks like natural
catastrophes since there is little disaster preparation, particularly when airports
are opened for operations (Harrison 2003: 7). Last but not least, since dwellers
opted for distance learning, the population might lack tourism knowledge.

Action plans for St Helena

It may be argued that the delayed arrival of commercial airplanes, which will finally come,
may not have been such a bad situation in the long run since it gave the island time to assess
what it needed to do to better manage the transition from isolated location to tourist
attraction.

Most islands are isolated and distinct, which led to the creation of a closely knit, closed type
of society (Spilanis & Karayiannis 2009). This, however, can be a specific strength of St
Helena. Geographically speaking, the island is neither a beach resort or a mass market, and
the range of its product offerings all indicate a core target market with ‘low volume - great
value and quality’ (St. Helena Government Plan 2015). Therefore, the target customer of the
island can be allocentric guests, according to Plog (1974) described as adventure seekers who
are keen to try new experiences in authentic and unfamiliar atmosphere.

Small island nations are encouraged to include culture into their tourism endeavors when they
provide tourists with a more uniform resort experience. Therefore, it is advised that St.
Helena take note of other tiny island governments' experiences and build more of its tourist
offerings on the island's history and culture. Indeed, St Helena has a great biodiversity and
historical sites that allow for the development of various tourism products. However, some
have more potential or have better conditions to be competitive in the market, including:

- Ecotourism: According to Chao & Chao (2017, p. 214), ecotourism "ideally reflects a
more responsible and sustainable method of engaging in tourist activities."
Ecotourism is viewed as one of the primary ways for indigenous populations to
protect and profit from biodiversity and their traditional culture. There is a wide range
of natural resources and tourist attractions, and this market product uniquely positions
St. Helena as a whole.
- Cultural Travel: Locals profit from community-based tourism since it generates cash
for local community development (Fotiadis et al., 2016). Additionally, local control is
effectively preserved. Thus, it seems to be the most beneficial kind of tourism,
especially in places with few people. However, this kind of tourism needs easy access
to transportation, sufficient infrastructure, and information. By collaborating with
outside tourist organizations, community-based tourism businesses may overcome
obstacles to marketing and market access.
In order to keep tourism operate effectively, there should be a thorough preparation of the
destination, requiring strategic and structural investments. In particular, progress should be
made in terms of infrastructure, institutional strengthening, marketing and provision of basic
attractions facilities. It is crucial to make sure there is adequate accommodation to handle the
expected visitor numbers at a global standard. Moreover, the network and transport system
should be upgraded, as well as further services accommodations such as spa, pubs and other
services are required to meet the needs of tourists. To attract investment, Saint Helena's tax
support, incentive programs, and other frameworks must be appealing. In addition, the
infrastructure must be attractive and developable at a reasonable cost. Indeed, the key goal of
St Helena in 2015 is ‘Make St Helena a desirable and competitive destination to do business
by removing barriers to investment’.

Many Saints are unable to see the beauty of the surroundings, including the history and
geography, and they are under question for the tourism in St. Helena, according to the study.
Important continuous effort has to be done to persuade islanders the value and attractiveness
of their environment, history, and culture, as well as how doing so may provide jobs, wealthy
and benefits for everybody. Hemmi (2005, 80) emphasizes the necessity to rely on regional
customs and traditional knowledge, as well as the increased sensitivity to community-based
projects that benefit the local population. She also highlights the role of creative and
innovative sectors in boosting economic growth and tourism competitiveness.

Sustainable development has been a key factor in all economic activity. It will be crucial to
preserve and improve the natural resources. The island has to make sure that the quality of its
entire tourist and fishing goods increases over time if it is to progress toward financial
independence. A key component of Saint Helena's marketing plan to attract tourists to the
island will be to position it as a green destination. Therefore, it is essential to preserve and
improve the quality of the island's natural assets to guarantee that economic activity is long-
term sustainable.

Although tourism will make up the majority of the economy, there will be other activities as
well. As tourism expands, it will act as a financial engine for the expansion of the whole
economy, including sectors not immediately related to it, such as agriculture, which produces
food and other goods for both residents and tourists. Local produce will help the island
promote itself as a "green place," but importing food and food items will still be necessary
often. Every economy relies heavily on its supporting service industries, which will expand
with the profit of tourism, hence boosting the economy.

The island should concentrate on boosting digital popularization. An educated population

may serve as the keystone for constructing a digital economy that would open doors to new
markets and support the development of the island's telecommunications infrastructure. In
addition to the website, St. Helena should be available on Twitter, Facebook, and travel sites
like Traveloka and Booking.com. Clearly, more and more tourists are using social media to
seek tourism locations, as proven by reports and trends throughout the travel sector. It is
crucial that the tourist website keeps up with gradual upgrades and that the tourism agency
assists the business community in taking advantage of social media opportunities.

In conclusion, we suggest a mixed-methods strategy with a main emphasis on business

growth via entrepreneurship based on the island's natural capita for St. Helena. Long-term
private sector growth should be encouraged by the government with a view to further
economic development. This would partly rely on the airport being fully used, but given the
challenges the island has in building the airport, overall upgrade facilities and other
requirements as discussed would be a wise move to draw in suppliers and transportation
providers.

Part 3: Vietnam’s lesson from this case

Vietnam is a tropical nation with a moderate temperature and a favorable environment, which
is highly suitable for the tourism industry. Therefore, Vietnam has a potential promise for
ecotourism, especially based on its high biodiversity and renowned islands like Cat Ba, Con
Dao, and Hon Thom. Based on the lessons from St. Helena, islands and other remote areas of
Vietnam should identify an appropriate strategy for sustainable tourism when implying the
tourism industry as a major driver of economic growth. Clearly, the arrival of tourists has a
positive effect on the economy and culture, however misusing natural resources to draw them
in, such as by haphazardly constructing hotels, resorts, and other amenities, might have the
opposite effect. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable tourism, including Vietnam, all
resources must be managed in a way that satisfies economic, social, and aesthetic needs while
also preserving cultural integrity, vital ecological processes, natural diversity, and life-
sustaining systems, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
(Hemmi 2005, 80). All parties (government, tourism industry, private sector, host
communities, and visitors) must respect the inherent values of natural resources and strictly
follow the regulations in order to maintain tourism. As an example of the government's
commitment on sustainable tourism, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau authorities have developed a plan
for high-quality, eco-friendly, clean, and sustainable tourism for Con Dao until 2025 (Anh
Huyen 2020).
In order to promote the location, first the location should be provided with adequate
infrastructure, facilities and have easy accessibility. Compared to St Helena, most of
Vietnam's sites are connected to the mainland, which is easier to access by different means of
transportation. Therefore, amenities and other supplies could be easily provided for tourists,
as well as infrastructure upgrades will be under control. This is a prerequisite step to call for
investment, as well as prepare for the huge number of tourists that visit the location. On the
other side, investment funds should go into training and propaganda programs that include
tour guides, tourists, and host communities, as well as paying locals to safeguard the
biodiversity and the whole ecosystem for commercial purposes. It is crucial that tourism
collaborates closely with the private sector, including Vingroup and Sungroup, development
agencies, and local authority and government to encourage investment in a wider range of
retail and hospitality businesses, in order to boost the expenditure from visitors and service
sector businesses, as well as in sectors which have the potential to supply the tourism sector.

Additionally, one of the main purposes of tourism is to provide local employment. Despite
hardworking attempts to develop tourism areas, failures could arise if the government
manages those places alone to reap the financial rewards while communities are ignored.
Ideally, management would aim toward host communities controllation who own natural
resources. Numerous qualitative studies on the opinions of the locals in Cat Ba, Phu Quoc,
have been undertaken. These studies show that the locals' opinions on tourism are important
to include since they are the true host of the locations, and have an adequate knowledge on
the strength and challenges that are facing.

Not to mention, integrating the local dwellers in the tourism industry highlights the urgent
need for education. It is necessary to take action to increase their awareness of the need to
conserve the environment and maintain cultural and natural traditions. To attract visitors,
traditional communities like Trang An, Viet Hai should be promoted and preserved. As a
result, people who are willing to explore and reflect on local customs and indigenous cultures
will find these locations to be the perfect vacation spots. Since locals often rely heavily on
their natural resources to earn for living, they should be given with relevance occupations to
be all economically profit from ecotourism.

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