Study Seeks To Better Understand Tourism Reliant Communities In The Pacific

Massey University’s Institute of Development Studies has released a working paper on Pacific Wellbeing. Through surveys and interviews conducted at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the paper measures the well-being of tourism reliant communities in the South Pacific.

Research author, Doctor Apisalome Movono, explained that in phase 1 of the Working Paper series the team were specifically measuring wellbeing prior to the return of tourism in four countries: Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands

 He added that the research was aimed at understanding subjective well-being across 6 dimensions: financial, social, physical, spiritual, mental and environmental wellbeing.

“Our team analysed this data and found some fascinating results that highlighted the strength and resilience of Pacific peoples in the tough times that COVID-19 has brought about. This includes some areas where wellbeing was surprisingly high across the four countries we studied and others where some countries were lacking in wellbeing in comparison with other countries,” he said.

Dr Apisalome said that in phase 2, the research team would repeat the survey in each country six months after the return of tourism.

The Institute of Development studies has also published a range of other articles that address the reimagining of South Pacific tourism post-pandemic.

SPTO CEO, Christopher Cocker, welcomed the working paper noting its importance as countries begin to position themselves for tourism re-activation.

“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to assess tourism’s varied impacts on the natural environment and local communities. It is important that we do not lose sight of those issues now, as the world begins to open up again”.

“In order to survive in this changing world, tourism must evolve to become more sustainable, resilient and accountable to our Pacific communities that rely on the industry”, he said.