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Scenario: 4 – ‘Dive into Vanuatu’ Cultural Tour on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Stakeholder’s role: Tour Company – Island Life
Regional Director (South Pacific)
Attire: Island Life Uniform with name tag
Props: Slides and information pamphlets
Scene:
A community meeting has been held at a multi-purpose hall at a village to discuss the
proposed tour offering on Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu by Island Life. Tucker is the
Regional Director (South Pacific) of the tour company and is in-charge of this project.
The company had invited members of the three largest villages and their village
head/chief/elders to the meeting to get their support for the proposal. As the Regional
Director and project in-charge, he is strongly in favour of it going ahead and is trying
his best to convince the Ni Vanuatu and address any of their concerns.
Script: (Local words) [action] {tone/sound}
[Stands up and walks to the edge of the stage to be closer with the audience] [Nods to slide clicker to
begin slides as prepared and arranged beforehand] {Friendly tone with firmness}
Halo (Hello), Gud Moning (Good morning) everyone! I am Tucker, Regional Director
(South Pacific) of the tour company, Island Life. It is good to see everyone here and I
am really excited to share more about what Island Life is planning to offer here on
this beautiful Northern Vanuatu Island that is fondly known as the largest of the 83
Vanuatu Island – Espiritu Santo! [almost shouting it out excitedly] I am sure I will be able
to convince you that this is an awesome project that will not only bring satisfaction to
the tourists that will be coming here for the experience, you as Ni Vanuatu will also
be able to benefit from this amazing plan. [keep both of hands apart and palms facing towards
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the audience] I understand that the locals might have some concerns, but I will do my
best to address them. I am sure you have received an information pamphlet [holds an
information pamphlet up in the air] and you may refer to them as I introduce you to this
project. I understand that this concept might be a little daunting to you, but I will try to
keep it as simple and direct as possible.
Before I start on the plan, allow me to do a brief introduction to my company, Island
Life. We are an internationally based tour company with over 30 years [Sign numbers
three and zero] {sound very confident} of experience and have operated around the globe,
specialising in cultural tours. We work with locals of various regions and countries to
create value for not just our guests but the locals as well. Island Life believes in
sustainable tourism and improving lives of our partners in these communities which
is why we employ the locals to be part of our operations and channel part of our profits
back into nature conservation or capacity building programmes for the locals to
manage protected areas. This will ensure that the sites we operate in will still be
available for our future generations to visit as well. [Hand action of chopping the air while
pulling hands to the side to show future]
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We are extremely pleased and excited to announce that we have selected Espiritu
Santo as Island Life’s first [put one finger up] destination in Vanuatu. Known for its
pristine beaches, freshwater blue holes surrounded by natural rainforest and
underground caves, we know that this beautiful island remains largely untouched and
unspoilt despite being discovered over 3 centuries ago and we intend to keep it that
way! [solid fist–shaking]
Our plan is to offer a 5 days [hold up hands with five fingers] ‘up close and personal’ cultural
encounter with the local for the tourist that target backpackers, eco-tourists and small
groups that are ready to ‘rough it’ to have a genuine and immersive cultural exchange.
Today, I am happy to have members of three largest villages [open palm and point towards
the audience] on this beautiful Island here with us, and we hope to rotate our tours
between these three villages. We will employ you, the locals, to introduce and show
the tourist your way of life and share your cultural backgrounds. You could be teaching
them how to fish [pause - hand action of fishing], how to tend the gardens that grow the
vegetables and herbs [pause - hand action of planting] that you use in your delicious cuisine
and how to weave mats and baskets [pause - hand action of weaving]. As a highlight of the
tour, we would also like to show them a cultural performance of your tribe to explain
the traditional stories and allow them to view or even take part in traditional
ceremonies. We have also sought permission of the elders of your village to allow
access to the community conservation reserve where we showcase the remote
waterfalls and hike to the island’s tallest mountain through the rainforest.
You might ask where are they going to stay? [pause and look at audience with a face of
confusion] [Then smile (Eureka moment)] As part of the experience, they will stay with you
in your villages in your traditional houses! We will fund the expenses to build these
purpose-built accommodations that is similar to the ones that you are staying in for the
most immersive experience. [Two hands clench together]
In a research “Thoughts of the Local Residents of Espiritu Santo on Australian Visitors”
done by the University of Southern Queensland back in 2004 showed that 93.4 per
cent of respondents said that they did want tourist to visit Espiritu Santo and Tangoa
Island and I believe majority of Ni Vanuatu still want tourists to visit as the benefit that
it will bring about will be tremendous! {very confidently} [both hands apart and a firm push
downwards]
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The first most important economic benefit I think Island Life will bring about is the
employment opportunities. As this tour is about sharing the authentic and traditional
way of life, you can continue to do what you normally do like weaving baskets, growing
crops and making crafts. When the tourists are here, you could sell them the crafts
that you handmake which will bring you additional income! [hand gesture showing money]
Villages that own shops that sells daily necessities could also get the extra income
from our tourist that stay in your village. You could also work with us as guides and
performers. We will provide training to ensure that you are ready for the job.
{very proudly} In the many places that we have operations in, such as Thailand,
Cambodia and South Africa among others, employment of residents increases, and
it becomes more attractive for locals to remain in the country instead of heading
overseas for employment opportunities. This will improve the demographic situation
because the young here will enjoy greater and better opportunities.
Let me ask a question here now, how many of you have a family member that is
working overseas now, and will you prefer that they do not work overseas? [take a
longer pause and look at audience around the hall while nodding head] { start to sound a little sadder}
I believe not everyone wishes to head overseas to find employment, but it is indeed
enticing as one will be able to earn more should they work overseas as compared to
working in Vanuatu. {start to sound more excited and confident} But If we can create more
jobs here, there will be lesser reliance on these 8000 Ni Vanuatu that work in Australia
or New Zealand and we will be able to keep your family members here!
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Next, with the tours, it will help to preserve and improve the culture. When a culture
becomes popular within the region, it will be well recognised around the world and will
be an important part for the country. If the culture is important to the tourism of a
culture, it will definitely be preserved as it is needed for tourism that can bring in a
large amount of income.
I trust that everyone here in the meeting here hope that your culture can live on and
be passed down for many years to come, right? We can help make that happen! If
there are important artefacts or sites that needs to be protected or restoration, we will
provide the necessary assistance to help. In Cambodia and Thailand, Island life have
provided professional assistance in the restoration of temples and shrines that have
been ruin or damaged. With sustainable tourism that Island Life offers, you can proudly
show the world the culture that you have and be assured that it can be passed on for
many generations to come.
A villager brought up the issue of cultural sensitivity earlier and I would like to address
that. I also wish to make myself clear on this – [pause and look at audience seriously] Island
Life will respect the wishes of the locals and ensure that our guests do the same.
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Let me give you an example. In the last 11 years that we have operated in Uluru or
Ayers Rock in Northern Territory, Australia, {begin serious tone} ZERO [show a zero sign]
Island Life’s guest climbed the rock even before October 2019 when the ban to climb
was enforced. We know and understand [place hand on heart] that the rock is sacred to
the Anangu people and they really wish that tourists do not climb the rock. In our tours
in Uluru, we invite an elder to share the aboriginal Uluru Dreamtime stories and explain
why they do not want people climbing the rock. {happy tone} We are very pleased and
proud that every single guest of Island Life’s tour had respected the Anangu people’s
wishes.
This is our promise [place hand on heart] to you [move palm to the direction of the audience],
and we have promised the elders and village head of your villages that we will ensure
that we do not cross a certain boundary that we set together. We will not allow [gesture
showing no] guest to access area that are sacred to your village and we do not ask that
you share all your ceremonies, especially the sacred and private ones. Melo
mentioned that only men are allowed at the traditional nakamal (village clubhouse or
clan hut) and drink kava. Rest assured that we will respect that as well.
We also have SOP in place to educate our guest to not breach those boundaries and
to respect your tabu (taboo). Before every start of the tour, our guest will also have to
sign a pledge [action of signing] to not enter areas that they are not allowed to enter and
to do the right things. [Draw a tick in the air]
With that, I hope I have been able to convince you to support the plan of Island Life
to begin operation in Espiritu Santo. I hope you will be able to appreciate Island Life’s
experience in operating such cultural tours and our way of business in that we will
ensure everybody’s interest is well taken care of. I am extremely excited to start this
project soon and am sure WE [open up arms up high as if wrapping audience in a hug] can work
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together to showcase Santo to the region and the world! If you still have any further
questions or concerns, feel free to come up to me or my team members [points to self
and team members] and we will do our best to address all of them.
Tangkyu (Thank you) [Place hand on the heart]