ECOTOURISM IN NEW CALEDONIA.

Ecotourism is the current buzzword in development circles for the interior of new Caledonia's Grande Terre and Loyalty Islands Province. Difference and separateness together with primeval and endemic are its nature and culture themes.

New Caledonia is becoming one of the newest alternative tourism destinations in the Pacific in a quest to provide economic and other benefits to those sectors of its society that suffered from the colonial administration of the territory and to diversify its economy. Its remoteness and its dependency status have protected it from mass tourism exploitation and degradation of its natural and cultural assets. It is developing ecotourism in the interior and on its surrounding islands based on local and/or indigenous entrepreneurism, from the grassroots, of both its natural and cultural resources. The territory does need to put more emphasis on environmental awareness and protection to maintain or enhance its natural and cultural resource base, which presently suffers from environmental neglect by other activities like mining and agriculture.

Tourism Development in New Caledonia

New Caledonia is new to marketing itself as a tourism destination. It has not yet exploited the allure of its separateness and difference. The government of the Provinces are in charge of tourism policy. These provinces were only created in 1988. New Caledonia also has many nickel and chrome mines, which have provided the territory with a steady revenue even if only one ethnic group benefited most from their exploitation. The government in New Caledonia had thus not felt the need to develop other economic activities nor to embrace tourism as a development strategy (Conlin & Baum 1995). The Kanak majorities of the Northern and Island Provinces, on the other hand, need to develop jobs and economic opportunities for their residents.

Visitor numbers are small, reflecting New Caledonia's isolation as a French and Kanak speaking entity in a dominantly English speaking southwest Pacific as well as its remoteness. The closest large land mass is Australia, 1500kms away. New Zealand lies 1800 kms from New Caledonia. 100,000 visitors stayed in hotels, gites, and with family and friends in 1999. Another 40,000 touched shore from cruise ships. Japan sends the largest proportion (30%), France 29% and Australia 16%. Only 1650 Americans visited New Caledonia in 2000 (Province Sud 2000, 2001). In its new quest to attract consumers of its natural and cultural landscapes, it faces competition from other destinations in the Pacific developed earlier like French Polynesia or the Solomon Islands.

New Caledonia is trying different images to increase its number of visitors both international and domestic. One of these images is that of the "Original Land" characterized by primeval landscapes and cultures. New Caledonia is not a volcanic island but a remnant of Gondwanaland. It possesses thus a rich and varied endemic flora: of the 19 species of Araucaria that exist in the world, 13 are endemic to New Caledonia which hosts 7% of the conifer species of the world (IRD 2001). Plants are particularly interesting because of their adaptation to nickel and other heavy metals on which soils are found. In some areas, little of the pristine vegetation is left (only a few hundred hectares remain of the original sclerophytic forests) but 90% of the flowering plants are endemic.

New Caledonia's other marketing image is that of the "Island Closest to Paradise" to echo a famous novel of that title that had been a best-seller in Japan. New Caledonia's specific flora, its stunning interior vistas and the transparency of the water of its lagoon, one of the largest in the world, are strong magnets. One species of Nautilus (the only known cephalopod mollusc to have a shell) exists only in the waters surrounding New Caledonia. Its territorial waters are frequented by three species of turtles whose females nest on the sandy beaches of the uninhabited Recifs d'Entrecastreaux but they are greatly endangered by hunting in spite of legal protection. New Caledonia's atolls, bush, interior, beaches and mangroves compose an exceptionally diversified panorama and create myriad opportunities for ecotourism enterprises. New Caledonia has white sand beaches under coconut palms but it also displays eucalyptus forests, extensive prairies, mountains bounded by waterfalls or covered with forests of Kaoris and arborescent fems.

New Caledonia is also the stage of an authentic indigenous culture. Much of this Kanak culture has been preserved not out of benevolent attitudes but because its members were denied access to western society and amenities by the colonial administration until recently. They were circumscribed in reservations the size of which was continuously reduced to satisfy the land greed of white settlers, including that of ex-convicts. The northern part of the east coast has black rocks tumbling abruptly into the aquamarine waters of the lagoon. Few white settlers ever lived in this area which has engendered the most rebellious Kanak leaders since 1847 when one led the destruction of the four year old Christian mission of Balade. Access to French schools was permitted after WWII only, enabling the first contingent of Kanaks to graduate and then to attend university in France no sooner than in the early 1960s (Aldrich 1990, 1993, 1978).

Today Melanesians are reproached their difficult adaptation to the capitalist world. Their traditional attachment was to the environment that provided their livelihood and to reciprocity and equal distribution of resources. Custom still requires that they abandon whatever activity they are pursuing if a marriage or a funeral needs to be attended. These ceremonies can last a week. Kanaky Custom (or code of living) dictates attendance. Some hotels and other enterprises run by Europeans who expect daily deliveries of products have turned to other providers, often offshore ones. All residents of the territory, however, are beginning to realize that they will have to adapt to each other's presence if New Caledonia is to survive as a prosperous corner of the world.

Developing Ecotourism

New Caledonia has not tried to promote conventional forms of tourism. It is too remote to ever attract large numbers and until it would, airlines remain reluctant to enlarge their carrying capacity. Flight frequency (in number of airlines, size of planes and number of flights scheduled) is restricted and has in turn constrained tourism development. New Caledonia has opted to market itself as the ideal destination for alternative forms of tourism, in particular eco-tourism based on its nature and its cultural diversity, as first described by Hetzer (1965). Ecotourism is defined here as "traveling with the specific objective of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas" (Boo 1990: xiv).

To be successful, ecotourism must be founded on local initiative in nature and cultural conservation and in careful management and enhancement of its resource base. It requires thoughtful planning to avoid becoming a screen that hides mass tourism practices (Preston-Whyte 2000). Only then will it become sustainable tourism since it will minimize negative impacts while it will increase the awareness and understanding of an area's natural and cultural systems. It also means that local people will directly benefit (economically and otherwise) from the activity and they and visitors can learn more about the wonders in their stewardship (Wallace & Pierce 1996).

It is still possible to implement policies that support sustainable development in New Caledonia and before any damage occurs to the local environment or the indigenous culture because of the recent and slow development of any form of tourism. Although New Caledonia is a small entity (200,000 inhabitants) it is also protected from unscrupulous foreign tourism developers by its ties to France. Foreign multinationals cannot impose their will on a weak community. Leakages due to repatriation of funds are thus limited but not eliminated. Some of the French multi-nationals can operate there and it is important for the local governments to maintain a balance between the different forms of accommodation as well as the different types of recreation they wish to often At the present time large "urban style" hotels are located only in Noumea where the majority of visitors stop.

Ecotourism should support a large degree of local involvement, develop strong linkages between the various enterprises and their promotion, reduce leakages and increase financial returns to the local operators and to local governments (Fennell 1999). In New Caledonia, ecotourism needs to be sustainable not just for the Kanaks, but also for the Caldoches, to reduce the need for foreign capital intrusions. Its main goal and consequence would be sustainable economic development for the areas that practice it. This is particularly desired in the northern Province where the majority of the population is Kanak and thus has a much lower standard of living than in the Southern Province where the majority are of European descent, the Caldoches. Until 1988 the economy of the territory centered mainly on the capital. This resulted in a serious imbalance between Noumba and the rest of the country, known as La Brousse (the outback).

The Northern Province has implemented a strategy of economic diversification to ensure it can restore a balance in per capita revenues with the Southern Province. The government is the majority owner in a mining concern (South Pacific Mining Company) and it has promoted aquaculture farms (shrimp farming mostly), which can become tourist attractions, and fishing. Tourism is a third facet and that is diversified too: accommodation is available for all levels of wealth of the visitors, which means that ownership is varied too. Matabou Resort and Club Med are luxury resorts. There are no plans for large monolith hotels though, even five star ones. One of the main difficulties has been to attract both foreign and domestic visitors to the area, in spite of such tantalizing posters, due in part to recent political events. Expatriate workers in New Caledonia tend to travel more readily overseas than within the territory.

The governments of all three Provinces seek to encourage Melanesian self-mobilization through liaison and educational projects. Melanesians have to create the ecotourism destinations they wish to develop on their reservations and to manage them. There is a general drawback from soliciting their participation. Financial incentives are available but must be requested by the beneficiaries. Efforts include the creation of a network of "Welcome to the Farm" and "Welcome to the Tribe" initiatives on the model of the Gites de France. These imply that accommodation for visitors are professionally delivered: cleanliness, comfort, security and safety are the key concepts. The attraction is a stay on the farm or cattle ranch (whether European or Melanesian run) and participation in its activities, or a stay in a tribe, which includes a typical dinner or bougna. In both cases other activities like bush walks or horse riding round out the stay.

Cultural Ecotourism

The Melanesian community of New Caledonia has maintained a traditional lifestyle built around the cultural heritage of its peoples. The tribal village remains central for the Melanesian community. Many today welcome foreign visitors for an hour or overnight. Kanaks who work in Noumea or other urban areas return frequently to their villages to regenerate. Life in the tribal villages still follows the rhythms of nature and most villages contain several traditional style houses (thatched round huts) known as cases. The small towns are inhabited by settlers of European origin as well as by many other ethnic groups and cultures. This diversity is the result of a history of penal colonization and mining booms. Mining companies imported workers from Indonesia and Japan and other countries as well. The attractiveness of a traditional indigenous culture as one of the bases of ecotourism is well-understood by many tourism guides as exemplified by Lonely Planet (1999). Its guide book on New Caledonia has the words with special arts and crafts section printed on its cover (besides Lonely planet and New Caledonia).

Several cultural centers dot the Northern Province. The Batefo one in Kone displays and sells (when funds are available to keep it open) local arts and crafts. It also sets standards for the items it will accept. The cultural center in Hienghene is more like a museum. The town hall in Poindimie has dedicated a small glass building in its courtyard to display sculptures prepared for exchanges during the Eighth Pacific Festival of the Arts. The rural village of Kaala-Gomen gained fame as the place where Gomenal, an extract made from the leaves of the Niauli tree (a local species of eucalyptus), was first discovered. Gomenal is a gel used to relieve respiratory congestion. Noumea has several arts and crafts centers as well as museums and craft shops. Only one small museum exists in the Southern Province outside of the capital to depict local cultures. Stays with the tribes are the easiest way to discover this rich heritage.

Kanak culture, which is expressed in 28 different languages, is celebrated in the JeanMarie Tjibaou Cultural Center built on a piece of land wedged between a mangrove and the sea, just outside Noumea where Column pines guide visitors to its main buildings (as is the practice in indigenous villages). Its director, though, underlines that it is not a theme park to offer tourists their required dose of exoticism. It is not an inward turn to a past that cannot be traveled. It is a place for the Kanak people to recreate dynamically their identity. One of the more original aspects of the Center is its "Kanak nature path" which delineates the myth of Tea Kanaka, the founding hero of these people, by guiding visitors with and through the local vegetation (Kasarh6ou et al 1998).

The Caldoches had been reluctant to open any form of heritage or cultural tourism because of New Caledonia's past as a center for convict deportation (1864-1897), many of whose victims provided cheap labor for the local settlers. A few of the convicts became settlers themselves. This convict past also brought 1900 Kabyl muslims to the territory following their uprising in 1871 against a French Algeria. They were forgotten by the amnesty of 1880 and many of them chose to remain where they had grown roots, adding to the cultural complexity of the territory. The colonial architectural heritage is in serious jeopardy in spite of its variety and its charm. Threats include real estate development, the absence of regulations for dismantling buildings and the poverty of some of its owners.

All tourism projects by non indigenous people on Melanesian land, which they are the sole proprietors of on the smaller islands, like Ile des Pins or on the Loyalty islands, require approval of the tribe. The Loyalty Islands (the third province of the territory) were declared indigenous reservations in 1899 so they have maintained their Kanak and Polynesian identity. Polynesians from Wallis settled there in the 1700s before the arrival of Captain Cook. The land-use approval can be a long drawn out process as custom requires that all members of the owning tribe be consulted and that all agree to the terms prescribed. Melanesian proprietors can demand a payment as in a lease, to more involvement in the venture. The Hienghene Club Med located on tribal land has a twenty-five year lease at the end of which the resort will become the property of that tribe. Over that span of time the managers are training members of the tribe to run the resort.

Protecting The Resources Of Ecotourism

Since the interior of the Grande Terre and the Loyalty Islands are planning to develop eco-tourism it is surprising that there have not been more attempts at the protection of its resource, the natural environment on land and at sea, nor at enforcing those laws that do exist. There are several endangered species which still appear on restaurant menus (roussette and turtle meat) and the number and acreage of land and marine reserves is small. New Caledonians have not shown much environmental awareness either in part because the low population density has put little anthropogenic pressure on nature. A center to foster such attention has been created (1996) and other educational programs are being implemented to alert both local residents and visitors about the fragility of land and marine ecosystems. One initiative of the center concerns the coral reefs and mangroves: a booklet has been published and an underwater walkway has been constructed off the Amedee Island close to Noumea, a favorite snorkeling spot of foreign and domestic visitors.

Some of the environmental problems that do exist are more likely to impact on tourism development than the reverse because their source is elsewhere but their consequences are damaging to the landscapes and activities that ecotourism is based on. The west coast has been dedicated to cattle raising but during dry years the animals are moved to the east coast whose inhabitants regularly bum the trees so they can lease the land to the ranchers. Other fires are lit to facilitate hunting. Such actions lead to accelerated erosion whose end product silts the lagoon. Endemic species do account for 5% of all marine aquatic species. In groups with low dispersal capacities like sponges, up to 71% are endemic (Levi et al 1998). Shrimp aquaculture is one of the few activities that is closely monitored and the farms use ecologically sound practices.

Waste and sewage disposal remains a major problem. Most towns or townships provide garbage pick-up on Grande Terre, the main island, but disposal is in landfills with little regard for their surroundings. Garbage was found strewn along all the roads traveled, even those that were not surfaced and thus much less frequented. Total amounts were small but will soon become eye sores if they increase. At that time removal could become a major undertaking since the whole island seems to need cleaning up. Most of the accommodation businesses are required to use septic tanks but no government official or lay-person could tell us where their contents were disposed of. The city of Noumea has a sewage system but waters are hardly treated before they are released in the lagoon.

Hillsides had been terraced by the Kanaks for their taro plantations and are now overgrown by other vegetation but the Europeans have dissected them to extract nickel, chrome and copper discharging streams of silt and heavy metals into the pristine lagoons. Most mining operations have taken place in the southeast that is difficult of access even to four-wheel drive vehicles. Tiebaghi is another important mining area located in the northwestern part of the Northern Province where visitors are still few. Siltation and heavy metal pollution are visible in both areas though and can only spread further, all the way to the coral reef, as mining operations are increased. New companies (a Canadian one in particular) are contracted to increase New Caledonia's exports and revenues.

The toxicity of the metals has only recently been investigated at a time when mining processes might change the chemical composition of the discharged residues. French officials want to believe that international pressure will force the mining companies to operate in a more environmentally friendly way so that even existing rules are hardly enforced.

Only the smelter in Doniambo Oust north of Noumea) is forced to close when the wind blows its emissions into Noumea. Companies are now required to revegetate the sites that they abandon and research has demonstrated the necessity to use native species adapted to the chemical composition of the soils. The effort is recent and the results will be visible only in a few years

Conclusion

New Caledonia has numerous exotic resources to attract residents of urbanized societies and provide them with varied outdoor activities. It can become a major alternative tourism destination if it can protect its primeval areas and endemic species on land as well as at sea and sustain its culturally diverse distinctiveness. It also needs to increase its accessibility to, and its promotion in, major outbound markets in North America and in Asian countries besides Japan. Its Frenchness, even though it is not a major facet of ecotourism can be an added appeal since France is very remote from most of Pacific Asia.

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Aldrich, R. 1990. The French Presence in the South Pacific, 1842-1940. Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press.

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