Emma Hughes

Citation

Thesis Title
The tourist resort and the village: Local perspectives of corporate community development in Fiji

Read article at Massey Research Online:

The private sector is increasingly seen as important for local development. Ms Hughes examined the capability of initiatives led by multinational hotels to bring about positive, locally meaningful change for two Indigenous communities in Fiji. Her findings showed that whilst specific initiatives achieved positive outcomes, much hotel-led development was charity-focused and confined to a narrow spectrum of needs largely defined by hotels and tourists. A framework developed in her research focused attention on the interconnected impact of all company activities, both voluntary activities such as donations and core operations such as employment. A focus on Indigenous perspectives foregrounded the expectations for reciprocity, entitlements, and fulfilling collective rights. Tourism was seen as an opportunity to contribute to community priorities for current and future generations, but it was clear that communities did not want more charity, instead seeking to be an integral part of development conversations determining a fair share of resources

Supervisors
Professor Regina Scheyvens
Professor Glenn Banks