Indigenous operations may start with:

1. No electricity (means no communication, no refrigeration, lighting, or music)
2. No drinkable water (this introduces health & duty of care issues)
3. No communication (naturally without power; hence cannot respond to, or take a forward bookings)
4. No reliable transport (airport transfers & tours are sourced out & much more expensive)
5. No start up capital, and naturally no working capital (no real assets, hence no loans provided by main stream lenders)
6. No understanding off, or business skills (especialy essentials such as: administrative, accounting, marketing)
7. No potential to produce sufficient profit to pay commissions to agents (hence no market visibility,…stuck in oblivion)
8. No sufficient language skills (oral or written) to operate a business

Hence these issues have to be identified, learned, and addressed by indigenous operators. This process cannot happen without the private sector (the skill component), and the public sector (the finance component) getting involved over a period of time.

One day back in 2002 I heard of a milestone leap being contemplated, the World Bank was financing such a project.

In 2004 it had started, in 2005 I jumped in, and by 2010 it had become the largest & fastest growing organisation tackling the above issues (over 300 destinations and growing fast).

It is called http://www.whl.travel .

I am only a minor franchisee (www.vanuatu-hotels.vu) with a tiny destination, but the support received to assist my indigenous suppliers (free websites for all suppliers as a start!) in my destination is brilliant.

So there is hope, we can make a big difference. My experience and knowledge is being passed on, the first indigenous operator we registered on our site was barely breaking even in 2005, they are now turning over close to a million Aud$ pa (with profit margins “commercial operators” could only dream of). We are their main source of booking revenue.

I have never thanked a bank before, but in this case “Tank yu tu mas World Bank” as we say in Vanuatu bislama for the opportunity.

Tropical regards from Port Vila, Vanuatu
John Nicholls