Overcoming Covid Challenges to Meet Tourism Business Goals

Spread the love

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

CUSTODIAN of Tanagao Cultural and Beautification Park at the Tamboko Community, Northwest Guadalcanal, Thomas Botu says the negative impacts caused by the pandemic on their local tourism business cannot be denied but hopes to achieve their plans.

Thomas, 55, described to Tourism Media that the objective to improve the small business is still high on the agenda despite being faced with the challenges associated with the global covid-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has affected our tourism business plans and operations.

“We have many plans yet to be accomplished,’’ he said. “Before the covid-19, we had experienced a good turnout of visitors – both locals and oversea visiting the park, but now, there are only small numbers of visitors coming to the park compared to years before the pandemic.”

The size of the Tanagao Cultural and Beautification Park is 100 meters in length and 80 meters in width.

He said the estate was previously a coconut plantation but later transformed into a park to promote their culture, tradition, and indigenous way of life to visiting tourists.

 “There are many cultural activities organized for visitors. This includes the exhibition of traditional and cultural dances, artifacts, and other attractions,” he said.

Tanagao Cultural and Beautification Park at the Tamboko Community, Northwest Guadalcanal.

Thomas said the idea to establish the park was a collective one and acknowledges his eldest son for being instrumental in the initial planning phase to start-up the tourism business.

“The plan to establish the business was well coordinated between myself and my eldest son.

“I did the paper works and planning, whilst my son does the outdoor beautification and landscaping work for the park.

“However, besides the idea of generating money, hosting important events, and attracting tourists, the key objective to start up the Cultural and Beautification Park was to make sure that my grandchildren, my tribe, and their children have something to engage with in the future rather than involving in anti-social behaviors,” he said.

The small tourism business in the North-west region of Guadalcanal is a living testament to a small dream turned into reality by passion, determination, hard work, and compassion from a person who cares not only about money but the future of his tribe, children, and grandchildren.

Meanwhile, this year, Thomas’s first objective plan for the tourism business is to achieve a proper water supply and toilet facilities that will ensure convenience for visiting tourists.  

“We lack access to existing water sources – like streams and rivers, so I plan to drill for underground water, and establish a borehole that will allow us to pump water and supply it into storage tanks before supplying water to different areas in the park.

Thomas Botu says the negative impacts caused by the pandemic on their local tourism business cannot be denied but hopes to achieve their plans.

“I believe that Proper sanitation, water supply, and hygiene are very important in the development of our small tourism business,” he said.

He said another plan to achieve this year is on managing plastic and tin wastes inside the park.

“We are planning to install several waste bins within the park for visitors to dispose of their wastes when visiting the area.”


Spread the love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.