Research update from P1tLab South Pacific: Communal microentrepreneurship in indigenous Fijian communities

A research paper tourism microentrepreneurship was recently presented at The 3^rd International Conference on Tourism and Business 2019, Bangkok, Thailand. The University of the South Pacific P1tLab is reporting on thier ongoing research examining tourism microentrepreneurship potential, opportunities, and challenges in three Pacific Island Countries; Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tonga, in an effort to enable local microentrepreneurs to carve a more meaningful slice of the Fiji tourism economy by selling experiences directly to discerning visitors to the South Pacific region.   

Alexander Trupp, Apisalome Movono, and Ilisapeci Matalolu from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) at The University of the South Pacific (USP), presented the conceptual foundations of indigenous entrepreneurship in the South Pacific along with challenges in recruiting participants. A case study from a Fiji village was spotlighted to provide examples of their findings.

The research included an inventory and interviews with diverse offerings of touristic experiences. The Lawai Pottery Village case provided the framework of how the communal microenterprise functions in this region. The case study presentation also included challenges the village faces and steps needed to overcome these challenges.

The original ppt presentation can be obtained here in SlideShare.