One of the chief issues of successful tourism operations is the amount of return that actually goes back to the local culture, people, or land owners. A responsible operation actually has an obligation to go further than that and support not only the local people, but also their culture, and to highlight and showcase this.
The Nakelo tokatoka from Viseisei and Lauwaki are the landowners of Treasure Island, but in addition to that own half of the business of Treasure Island Limited (or “TIL” which also includes the property of Kadavu Lailai or “Bounty Island”). The Nakelo were the first tokatoka in Fiji to be 50% owners of a resort, and over time have become indelibly linked to the operations of the resort and the culture of the company. Nakelo elders comprise half of the board members of TIL, and many Nakelo members work in the staff including senior management positions. Treasure Island provides holiday jobs for Nakelo high school students, and both temporary and permanent positions for Nakelo school leavers.
Case study: The Beach Cleaner…
About 18 months ago the beach cleaner was repaired to help keep the beaches clean of seaweed. This beach cleaner attached to the tractor’s power take off could clean the whole island in a relatively short time. Then it broke down. And it was fixed again. And it mysteriously broke down again. At this point the GM Graeme Back took notice of the message being sent by fate (or staff?). The beach cleaner was not repaired. Casual staff (high school students or school leavers looking for their first placement) rake the beach, providing up to 10 extra jobs for locals, and markedly lowering fuel use, emissions, and also noise pollution. When times are quiet or political events make it tougher full time staff also have the option to be involved in beach cleaning for extra hours, safeguarding their employment in a time where many resorts had to lower hours, salary or let people go.
To have equitable employment more must be considered than just hiring the best qualified person for the job. This immediately becomes unfair as Australians and New Zealanders naturally have better access to tertiary education than Nakelo people, or even Fijians as a whole. On Treasure Island Resort there are two expats only- The General Manager, and the Director of Operations. This means that unlike most 3 1/2 to 4 star resorts the Food and Beverage manager, Restaurant Supervisor, Resort Manager, Executive Chef, Head of Reservations, Sales Manager, Functions Manager, and Chief Financial Officer are all Fijian. In addition to this there is a solid management trainee program to take promising staff members and train them to one day take over management positions, and a policy of training, even at expense and risk to the company rather than hiring where possible. Last year for example in addition to ongoing management trainee programmes Osea Ba from the Marine Department was sent, at the company’s expense, to a training course in Suva rather than hiring a new class 5 marine engineer.
Staff health is important to the business, and is monitored by the on-island nurse, including weight, blood pressure and blood sugars to identify diabetes. Staff are given exercise programs and are provided with a staff gym to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Markedly overweight staff are given financial incentives and rewards for returning to good health.
During a recent customer satisfaction study of Treasure Island guests, the company hired to undertake the survey expressed surprise at the consistently high ratings for staff performance and friendliness and highlighted it as a true strength of TIL. Management believe this is an indication of the culturally friendly human resources policy, and the locally held ownership of the business.
Treasure Island supports the village and the Nakelo clan in more than just returns, lease payments, and employment. The Treasure Island Kindergarten in Viseisei is sponsored by TIL (TIL refers to the company Treasure Island Ltd), the resort sponsors events at the village, the Treasure Island Pirates Rugby team (which travels to NZ to play each year) and will even provide the company van to use as a hearse for funerals. Children of staff are allowed to come out to Treasure during school holidays and are welcome to join in at kids club with guest children.
Local village based companies are supported by the resort, including the use of Mereke Investments for Treasure Island transfers, Liti tours for guests excursions to the mainland which teaches them about the life and history of local Fijian villages; and recently when Nakelo youth started a garden project the resort pledged to support it by advising on what vegetables it needed, purchasing those vegetables (at standard market prices) and even providing several boat loads of seaweed for pre-planting preparation!
The Resort also has a responsibility to foster the local Fijian culture, especially that specific to Nakelo. Every night at 8:30pm a department sings the “Bula Welcome”. Although they are paid for this there is an enthusiasm that goes beyond what you would expect, with often large groups turning up and singing their hearts out as if to out do the department that sang the night before. While guests have the chance to listen (they are welcome to join in and many do) to traditional Fijian songs each night, including an explanation of the significance of the song “Isa Lei”, it has been discovered that for many urban Fijians coming to work at Treasure it is their first chance also to learn “their songs” too. In addition to this recently several staff have learnt traditional weaving for their first time out on the island before demonstrating it to our guests. Other chores such as traditional reed thatching on roofs are carried out by staff too, allowing the younger tribe members to observe, learn and preserve these arts.
Each monday a local Meke performance group, which is comprised entirely of Treasure staff, perform the traditional songs and dances of the Nakelo, hence both showcasing and preserving them. While predominately Fijian/ Nakelo traditions are showcased, as they should be, other significant events are also shared with the guests. Fiji day was celebrated with a Kava ceremony, singing and flag raising with the guests, but weeks later Diwali was also showcased with staff wearing sari’s, Indian buffet with sweets, lamps, fireworks and the activities officers Suka and Juita explaining Diwali and the stories behind it to the guests.
The Bula Welcome is coordinated by the activites department which also provides many other chances each week to experience both the culture and the local environment. Activities include how to make Kokoda and other traditional fijian dishes, weaving, fijian language and customs, learning about medicinal plants and how to prepare the lovo. The activities department also talk about safe and responsible snorkelling each night to take their part in ensuring damage to the coral reef is minimised. Kids club also have a range of culturally enriching activities (see case study). The acitivites department this year markedly cut down their paper use when they rationalised their daily flier into one personalised pamplet per guest group, with the acitivites printed that covered their specific length of stay. Guests have been delighted to receive a personalised guide, which in turn reduces markedly the paper use compared to when every room received a flier for the next day every night. Each guest hence receives 1-2 sheets of paper printed on both sides rather than 5-10 or more.
Protecting the local culture also includes policy and decision making that protects rather than diminishes cultural sensibilities. To require a traditional Fijian woman to wear short skirts, off the shoulder outfits, or 3/4 trousers to work could be offensive, and Treasure Island represents the local Fijian culture. As such it provides a range of uniform so staff can dress in a way that while representing the company would also be acceptable back in their own village. To respect these customs even the wives of the two island “kaivalagi” refrain from wearing short shorts around public and staff areas, wearing sulus over the top of them. Treasure Island’s uniform must be highly regarded, as recently staff from another hotel borrowed one to show their management how they wanted theirs to change! Other cultural rules are also where possible respected rather than rubbished. For example one of the assistant managers, due to an ancient family tabu, is not allowed to have eye contact with the wife of the chairman. This is respected, with duties and even seating plans set out to avoid embarrassment and yet still facilitate day to day business.
Case study: Kids Club- where it all starts…
Treasure Island has always had a popular and thriving complimentary kids club, however in the last two years it has significantly increased the cultural and educational component of this. This has been met with delight by parents who often have taken their children out of school in term time, but is considered by Treasure Island Resort as being merely an essential part of their programme. One parent commented “our kids can make sand castles or play by a pool any where in the world…” Treasure Island kid’s club enables the children to learn about local conservation, marine appreciation, local songs and meke, local cooking and more.
Some of the activies:-
Kids Club Meke- twice a week the children learn song and meke, which they then perform in the restaurant for their (usually surprised and delighted) parents. They are dressed as near as possible in traditional outfits (the girls wear clothing of durable tapa fabric styled for practical purposes, so not exact) with traditional charcoal face paints and often other accessories such as leaves etc.
Kids Club Visit to the local Vuda School
Once per week the children are taken to the mainland to visit the school which many of the children of the staff attend, and the local village. This is a near unique chance for them to see first hand how the fijian village children live. Parents are welcome, but do not have to attend as there is high level of supervision from kids club staff. Parents can make a donation to the school, but this is not compulsory as Treasure Island resort also sends a donation with each visiting party of guest children.Weaving
Children are given the chance to not only observe traditional weaving, but also try it. Just yesterday I myself saw a group of children sitting in the shade by the chapel with Sala and Losana, they had collected a piece of palm each and were spending the early afternoon weaving baskets and headbands, some I might add quite competently.Kids Club Cooking
Kids help make lovo, or sometimes make their own lovo, and also try the finished product. In addition to this children get to experience husking of coconuts and discuss the many uses and significance of the coconut. This discussion finishes with the children making coconut toffee with their free coconut so is very popular!
Fijian Language
Children are taught key phrases in Fijian language in addition to meke songs. One class I observed ended with the children being sent up to the bar to order Henry (supervising that day) a glass of water in Fijian! Some managed “Kerea mada e dua na bilo wai”, others just shouted “wai kerekere!” at the barman…Water Sports Monday
…as it is now known, though it is not always on Monday’s of course as the kids club agenda is not static and changes according to demand, numbers and weather; teaches marine appreciation in a fun way. The session starts in the pool where the children, many issued lifejackets for the whole day, are taught how to snorkel. They are told the importance of not ever standing on coral and nasties to avoid (in our case crown of thorns). This is followed by a trip to Nukasiga (the “sand bar”) a nearby coral cay where they get to practice their skills, or just play under the umbrellas if they wish. Again like the school trip parents are welcome, but don’t need to come as the kids are sent with a high proportion of staff to ensure they safely learn how to appreciate the beautiful coral and fish which kids club staff help them identify. Seeing the clown fish is often a favourite since the movie “finding Nemo”, and often parents who don’t accompany the kids to the sand cay make a point of discovering it themselves later after hearing their children’s descriptions.Helping with Island “pets”
Children also help with the fauna of the island including the iguana which they feed each morning, and learn about the turtles. In the last year the kids were even involved in collecting (non stinging safe) jelly fish for the hatchling turtles, and cleaning biofoul off their shells (small number of older children only for handling turtles obviously). Seeing real turtles helps make their conservation more real for the children.and Local Children?
Children of the staff can stay on the island during their school holidays, and are welcome to join kids club, also learning about all of the above activities. This is especially important for the Fijian children who live in more urban areas and no longer learn these cultural activities normally. It must be noted that the grand-daughter of one of the directors does a wonderful job when visiting the island in helping the guests’ children learn the meke and leading them at the performance at night.In summary Kids Club is where the showcasing, teaching and interpretation of both local culture and local physical attractions begin, not just for guest children, but for staff children also. It must be noted that kids club achieve this high standard of cultural and environmental education and showcasing despite losing their building to fire two years ago. New plans include recycling one of the old Treasure Island wooden boats to form a sandpit in the play ground outside the new kids club, and especially designed fun interpretive posters for the walls which teach the children about local environment and customs.
