Corrupted Hospitality in Vanuatu: Political and Ethical Issues in the Tourism Sector

In this document we will discuss about Corrupted Hospitality in Vanuatu and below are the summary points of this document:- The report discusses the issue of corrupted hospitality in Vanuatu based on the documentary "Vanuatu's Broken Dreams" by Peter George. The report highlights the political and ethical issues affecting the growth of Vanuatu's tourism sector. The report concludes with recommendations for enhancing the tourism services in Vanuatu.

Running head: CORRUPTED HOSPITALITY IN VANUATU
CORRUPTED HOSPITALITY, VANUATU
Name of the student:
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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................2
Prime ethical and governing issues:................................................................................................2
Operations of P&O cruise line:........................................................................................................4
Responsible issues:..........................................................................................................................4
Government’s interference:.............................................................................................................5
Recommendations:..........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................7
References:......................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction:
This report aims to discuss the issue tourism emerged in some of the most important
areas of Australia, the Republic of Vanuatu. This particular analysis is actually based on the
documentary called ‘Vanuatu’s Broken Dreams’ by the journalist Peter George. This report has
pointed out the competences of Vanuatu as budding tourism destination located in the aboriginal
parts of Australia. This report of Peter has focussed on sufferings and depravity of people mainly
living in the Walla and Pentecost islands of this country (Pratt and Harrison 2015). This report
will discuss the political as well as ethical issues that affect the complete growth of Vanuatu’s
tourism sector, the unethical problems of P&O cruise line services. It will analyse the duties of
the movement and the authorities of this place. This report will be concluding with some
important recommendations and based on this, the tourism services of the destination may be
enhanced for which Vanuatu can flourish.
Discussion:
Prime ethical and governing issues:
“Vanuatu’s Broken Dreams”, the documentary by Peter George, has effectively revealed
some true as well as sordid realities about unethical acts of the Vanuatu government along with
their policies. In Vanuatu, there are some buried truths as well as insurgence of the local
problems. This particular documentary has focused on the problems faced by these localists of
Vanuatu every day. As these names suggest, their dreams for leading standard lives through
balancing wealth with poverty and business and tourism are not fulfilled. In the documentary,
Peter George has shown the dissuasions with one of the local leaders in the island of Wala.
According to him, the rudimentary facilities that are related to food, sanitation and shelter are the

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rights of the islanders of Vanuatu are not provided. These inhabitants of these islands are the
most deserving people who need to get large portions of the tourism profits out of local
handicrafts, trinkets, souvenirs along with the most popular Kava drink. However, they are
completely deprived of these shares. As the administrative settings of these islands, the
Australian as well as Vanuatu governments need to work together (DeBlock 2018). They are to
aid the Vanuatu tourism sector but they have built only some comfortable buildings for these
tourists who are coming to visit these islands by not providing the villagers their actual rights.
These villagers are deprived of possessing proper sanitation, electricity, running fresh water and
fuel to cook (Watt 2019). For example, in the video, the reporter has stated, “Like Kami's family,
three generations usually share a little compound. They collect rainwater. There's no gas to cook
with. Some have small generators but often no fuel. Most get by with a couple of cheap, portable
solar lights. Kami reckons that, if the tourists can have nice public toilets, then it's probably time,
the villagers did too”.
This is the reason why, public health in Vanuatu has become controversial matters for
these villagers. They by not getting any support from the government, are harvesting the
rainwater and have the only access to some transportable solar lights. These unethical actions
taken by the government is not allowing them to fulfil their basic supplies or provisions
(Herzfeld 2014).
These issues have gained more relevance because the inhabitants are not possessing all
the needed acquaintance about their intermediaries employed in the Port vila as well as
connecting the island with the entire Vanuatu tourism. These people are not keen to take the
name of anyone for proper investigation. However, the anew chosen Prime Minister named
Moana Carcasses possess knowledge about corruption. Hence, he aims to bring an end to these

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processes. Owing to the tourism dollars, these authorities have been acting unethical in terms of
their villagers which has made a feeling of deception to flow in the entire place (Saverimuttu and
varua 2016). The previous minister of land named Sethy Regenvanu has also been aware of the
fraudulence as well as exploitative behaviour and actions of the agents present in the context
because he himself was present in office of the Prime Minister. He reported that the ex-PM had
given all their waterfront lease to the favourite members of his without taking are of the future
conditions of these poor villagers.
Operations of P&O cruise line:
P&O Cruise line of Australia is the most preferred cruise line which connects the
mainland of Australia to the islands of Vanuatu. This particular home line leads the international
tourists to Pentecost as well as Wala. This expenses in the cruise lines however sums large but it
is negligible for the international tourists visiting Vanuatu. Now the reporter has asked the
question, what happened to aids from cruise ships and the improvements which people of
Vanuatu hoped for. In answer to this question Flavian Lelekte, the stall owner has stated that
they do not possess any knowledge about the mission of the fund is not clear to the villagers. To
him, someone is stealing or someone from this island may go to office and is indulging in the
corruption. Due to this corrupting action from the part of tourist agents, these huge sum of
expenditure of the tourists do not reach the locals or the government of Vanuatu. The
intermediaries collect all of these quite treacherously. The cruise authority of Australia also
knows these facts but do not report these immoral actions to government. According to Kami
Malili, and island leader has stated that Wala's five communities must have raked in around
$500,000 from cruise ships but in these ten years, no change if situation has happened.

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Responsible issues:
In ‘Vanuatu’s broken dream’, the journalist has pointed out three most significant aspects
in this tourism of Vanuatu. These have led the tourism of this island to agonise more intensely.
Firstly, these governments of Vanuatu working in previous terms were completely accountable
for the growth of corruption.
Secondly, in local level, the government of Australia had provided the fund to the development
of Vanuatu but these were not correctly used in the place. As mentioned in the video, through the
Australian aid, especially AusAID, Vanuatu has gained more than $800,000 so that it can invest
this fund in improving the facilities on Wala and other two islands where P&O Cruises visit.
This money could have changed the economic scenario of the island.
Finally, there are instances of external manipulations with business interests. The locals in the
markets of Vanuatu sell different types of handicrafts fund in these areas. These items are rather
in the demand to international travellers. The Kava root has been another desirability in the
places from where the residence of Vanuatu make Kava drink which is quite popular among the
tourists as well as the local people. However, Vanuatu government has strictly banned this drink
made from Kava root or selling any roots in Vanuatu. They are using the locals to make Vanuatu
a potential market for highest bidders. It is one of the chief responsible factors for exploitation of
the tourism of Vanuatu but no agencies either private or the government ones are thinking about
the welfare or all-inclusive growth of Vanuatu.
Government’s interference:
These issues might have been resolute by the collaborative measures taken by Australian
and Vanuatu by issuing financial report every year.

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Firstly, the fact that from 2004, the tourism committee members may not have the knowledge
about their total expenses as well as business in the islands of Vanuatu (McDonald 2018). This
has prevented them from understanding their situation.
Secondly, there are some discrepancies in matter of distributing leases at the lowest prices to the
make the most from the personal reimbursements (Chan et al. 2017). To Sethy Regenvanu, the
ex-prime minister Walter Lini has been accused for favouritism as well as corruption growing
among his civil servants working for him.
Thirdly, the governments have been unable for enlisting most accountable officers related to the
corruption as well as conduct their transaction methods to more transparently.
Fourthly, the governments do not have some severe laws for ending such a corruption as well as
punitive measure against these breakers of law (Tabani 2017).
Finally, through monitoring their qualities of Kava, these government need to work more
collaboratively with all the associated non-governmental organisations to certify only authentic
venders of this Kava drink.
Recommendations:
 These islanders of Vanuatu and its government can start self-governing ferry systems
such to stop its unprincipled monopoly so that only P&O Cruise line do not plunder like
this.
 People here need to take more initiatives for encouraging indigenous trades and establish
cooperative banks such as Barnabas Tabi opened cooperative bank for the islanders.

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 The reporters like George from foreign country are feeling concern to bring change in
this matter so Vanuatu media must also cover the growing corruption to create awareness
about the people’s rights in Vanuatu.
Conclusion:
Therefore, it can be concluded that the economic situation of Vanuatu is highly
corrupted. It is characteristically far away from its mainland of this country. Hence, high
dependence on the resources of mainland and those places which were occupied by the
aboriginal people in Australia. This documentary has reviewed these subjects of dishonesty in
the administration Australia which has been resulted on the deprivation of tourism sector in
Vanuatu. Hence proper measures need to be taken to save the tourism of Vanuatu.

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References:
Chan, C.W., Iata, H., Yaviong, J., Kalkoa, M., Yamar, S., Taleo, G., Isozumi, R., Fukui, M.,
Aoyama, F., Pomer, A. and Dancause, K.N., 2017. Surveillance for malaria outbreak on malaria-
eliminating islands in Tafea Province, Vanuatu after Tropical Cyclone Pam in
2015. Epidemiology & Infection, 145(1), pp.41-45.
DeBlock, H., 2018. Artifak: Cultural Revival, Tourism, and the Recrafting of History in Vanuatu.
Berghahn Books.
Herzfeld, M., 2014, July. The fate of rural hell: Asceticism and desire in Buddhist Thailand, by
Benedict Anderson. In Anthropological Forum (Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 311-313). Routledge.
Hess, S. and Ramsay, D., 2018. In Vanuatu,'market mamas' are taking care of business.
In International Trade Forum (No. 1, pp. 20-21). International Trade Centre.
McDonald, L., 2018. Household coping behavior and its contribution to resilience to global
macroeconomic shocks in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Review of Development
Economics, 22(4), pp.e185-e201.
Pratt, S. and Harrison, D. eds., 2015. Tourism in Pacific Islands: Current Issues and Future
Challenges (Vol. 48). Routledge.
Saverimuttu, v. and varua, M., 2016. Seasonal tropical cyclone activity and its significance for
developmental activities in Vanuatu. Environmental & Economic Impact on Sustainable
Development, p.8.
Tabani, M., 2017. Development, Tourism and Commodification of Cultures in Vanuatu. Tides of
Innovation in Oceania: Value, materiality and place, p.225.

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Trau, A.M., 2012. Beyond pro-poor tourism:(re) interpreting tourism-based approaches to
poverty alleviation in Vanuatu. Tourism Planning & Development, 9(2), pp.149-164.
Watt, G., 2019. A Pro-poor Tourism Case Study: Efate Island, Vanuatu (Doctoral dissertation,
Auckland University of Technology).