Tourism and Community Development Issues - Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues - page 190

controlled by local families overseen by the council of matai (chiefs) of each
village; the fales follow customary cultural traditions in design and service,
and have fostered community development in many ways, including sustain-
able livelihoods, use of local produce (hence low leakage and a strong multi-
plier effect), and respect for local cultural and environmental goods through
tourist learning via close encounters with local residents over meals and ser-
vices, plus a cultural protocol that beach fale owners instruct their guests to
follow (e.g. how to dress for entering a village, or how to behave during
evening prayer time). While some concerning changes are being introduced
by the government for greater formalization of planning procedures and
minimum quality standards for fales that wish to be endorsed/promoted by
the government, Scheyvens (2005: 201) says beach fale tourism on Samoa is
on the right track to community development:
From a community development perspective as well, which stresses
reliance on local skills, knowledge and resources, and emphasizes local
ownership and control, improved standards of living for rural com-
munities, respect for environmental and cultural assets, and local level
empowerment, beach fale tourism in Samoa is also largely on the right
track.
Local indigenous control and a high level of participation in tourism as the
Samoa example above demonstrates offer crucial insights for the develop-
ment of CBT and governance structures. Modernization and change are
affecting indigenous cultural survival and well-being around the world, and
self-reliance, cultural empowerment, sustainable livelihoods, policy support
and devolution of political governance to include local indigenous popula-
tions are especially important considerations if tourism and community
development (CD) are to forge useful alliances. Youth, gender and women's
roles will continue to be high priorities on the tourism and CD agenda;
Ateljevic and Doorne (2003) describe a tie-dying enterprise in China where
women-centered cooperatives thrive successfully through tourism, and
Byrne-Swain (1989) shows also the important role of women in Kuna Yala,
Panama, who are engaged in the production of traditional mola that is sold
into a thriving tourism trade.
Rural tourism, linkages and integrated approaches
Lane (2009) describes rural tourism broadly as encompassing a wide
range of activities such as farm tourism/agritourism, food and wine tour-
ism, adventure tourism, cultural and heritage tourism, nature tourism and
ecotourism. In many counties, the presence of numerous communities and
family-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the rural sector
contribute significantly to overall tourism revenues and employment. Rural