Rationale for the Award
 

TO DO!2004
Contest Socially Responsible Tourism

Award Winner:

CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK LTD.
(CHICOP)



represented by:

Sadick Magwiza
Tanzanian and Chumbe Island Ecolodge Manager
Zanzibar/Tanzania

 

Rationale for the Award
 by Dr. Hermann Warth



1. INTRODUCTION

At the request of the Institute for Tourism and Development (Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V.), the appraiser visited Zanzibar, Tanzania from November 15 to 22, 2004. The objective of his visit was the evaluation of the tourism component of the 'CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK LTD.' project (CHICOP) located in the area. The project application for the TO DO!2004 contest was submitted by the project director Sibylle Riedmiller. Before the return of the author, the main research findings were reviewed with Sibylle Riedmiller and the project manager, Helen Peeks.

In appreciation of the objectives, the concept and the implementation of the project, the authorised appraiser proposes that CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK be awarded a TO DO! price at the ITB 2005.

2. BACKGROUND

The basis for the activities of CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK is, as the name suggests, Chumbe Island, and a protected coral reef on the western side of the island. Chumbe Island is situated about twelve kilometres southwest of Zanzibar Town, the capital of Zanzibar. The island is 1.1 km long and up to 600 m wide. Chumbe Island is surrounded by a coral reef, which is still very much intact along its western shore (1.3 km long and 300 m wide) and harbours about 200 species of coral and 400 species of fish. Chumbe Island itself is made up of fossilized corals. It is almost completely covered by forest (semi-arid coral rag forest). The northern part of the island may be entered only in rare cases and if so, only by researchers. It is inhabited by the Aders Duiker, an almost extinct protected species of antelope. With the help of Chumbe Island, six animals were released in the hopes that they would breed and thus perpetuate the species. The world's largest land crab species, the coconut crab, which has been nearly eradicated, also lives unimpaired on Chumbe Island. In addition, the island is the habitat of about 60 bird species and many small animals such as lizards, crabs, (non-poisonous) snakes, and bats.

The island's landmark, the lighthouse, which was built in 1904, is 35 metres high and can be seen from afar. At the time, a house and a small mosque were built for its keeper. Apart from the project staff and tourists, Chumbe Island is uninhabited.

The surrounding area of Chumbe Island is used by the fishermen of Zanzibar. The majority of them belong to the Wandengereko, Wazaramu, Manyamwezi, and Makonde tribes. Depending on their financial situation, they fish with ropes or nets. The boats range from dugout canoes to bigger vessels, equipped with motors and sails. The boats are registered with the government. The license has to be renewed annually. Most of the bigger boats are not owned by the crew. Whales, dolphins, and turtles are under strict protection. Fishing is not permitted at the Chumbe sanctuary.

CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK operates under strained political framework conditions. Zanzibar Island, which became a British protectorate in 1890, gained its independence in 1963. In 1964, this was followed by the union with the mainland of Tanganyika, from which the name of today's Tanzania originates. As a quasi-autonomous country, Zanzibar is still a young and unstable democracy: In 1964, its government was overthrown by a violent revolt, in which 17,000 Arabs and Indians were killed. Many Europeans and Asians left Zanzibar Island; their land was nationalised. The resulting lack of skilled labour was relieved by technical and military aid from Cuba, China, Bulgaria, the GDR, and the Soviet Union. In the 80s, steps were taken to promote the private sector. In the 90s, the one-party-rule of the Party of the Revolution (CCM) was replaced by a pluralist system. The Civic United Front (CUF) became the leading opposition party. According to international observers, there were irregularities during the 1995 and 2000 elections. The CCM remained in power. The next elections are due to be held in October 2005.

Civil society is only poorly developed in Zanzibar. Many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are not the product of developed structures and do not derive their mandate and legitimacy from the fight for a cause. Rather, they are formed in line with new priority areas of national and international development policies and, in order to access donor resources, offer their services in conformity with market conditions. The fact that many NGOs are led by party politicians who are pursuing their own individual interests does not improve the situation.

At the end of the 80s, the national development monopoly was gradually abandoned in favour of private sector initiatives. The tourism industry was one of the beneficiaries. In 1995, 50,000 tourists travelled to Zanzibar and in 2000, the number had already increased to 100,000. Currently, the tourism sector contributes about 15 per cent to the gross national product with an upward trend. However, despite the introduction of the 'National Environmental Policy for Zanzibar' in 1992 and several tourism master plans tourism development is advancing almost unchecked. Coral blocks, plenty of sand from the beaches, and mangrove wood are being used for building hotels and bungalows on Zanzibar, which leads to alarming levels of costal erosion. The tourists' high water consumption (180 litres a day compared to 40 litres a day of a Zanzibari) has brought the ground water level down and dried out wells. Seafood is not harvested in a sustainable manner, which, in the long run, will lead to the loss of local jobs. The natural beauty of Zanzibar, which is the basic capital for tourism, is damaged by the construction of sometimes rather ugly tourism infrastructure, especially on the eastern coast. Moreover, the government advocates large unsuitable investment projects and tends to impede minor but feasible investments in the infrastructure. Zanzibar Town, on the other hand, has retained its urban charm. Its centre has been placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

3. THE CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK PROJEKT (CHICOP)

3.1 History

At the initiative of Ms. Sibylle Riedmiller, CHICOP Ltd. was founded in 1991 for the protection of Chumbe Island and the reef on its western shore. Ms. Riedmiller was motivated by the desire to demonstrate that privately financed development projects could also be developed and realised in a sustainable manner, as well as by her passion for marine biology. Due to her activities, the reef was closed to fishery by the Department of Fisheries. In 1993, 2.44 hectares of the island were leased to CHICOP by the Commission for Lands and Environment for a period of 33 years. In January 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources assigned the conservation, control and management of the reef to CHICOP for 10 years. In December 1994, the Department of Fisheries officially declared the reef a sanctuary. In July 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources prohibited the commercial use of the forest on the island and assigned the conservation, control and management of Chumbe's natural resources beyond the leased area to CHICOP for a period of 33 years. With these agreements, the reef became the world's first privately administered coral reef and Tanzania's very first marine sanctuary. Meanwhile, there are four additional sanctuaries, which are under state control and administered with the help of donors. Chumbe's western reef is registered as a UN recognised marine protected area.

3.2 Concept, financing and organisational structure

The objective of the project is to sustainably protect the reef and the natural resources on the island through income from tourism, without depending on financial support from the government or donors. To this end, a visitor's centre (which is both an information and training centre) with a restaurant and seven bungalows were built, paths were laid out on the leased terrain, snorkel equipment rentals and boats for the transport of materials as well as tourists and CHICOP personnel were organised. The infrastructure was completed in 1998.

At the end of 1997, the costs for tourism infrastructure (39%), environmental protection measures (52%), and the purchase of educational material/the creation of marine and terrestrial nature trails (9%) came to nearly US $ 1.2 million. The largest portion of the amount was financed by Ms. Riedmiller's own funds, the rest was provided by donors (including donations from the GTZ for the information centre, the EU Fund for Micro Projects for the snorkel equipment for school children, the WWF Tanzania for teaching materials). In 2001, the annual operating costs could be covered by income from tourism for the first time. This balance has been kept until today. However, there has not yet been any reflux of the private investment capital.

Furthermore, the concept of CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK (CHICOP) includes raising awareness of the valuable ecology of Zanzibar in general and Chumbe Island in particular. This is done by means of an intensive education and awareness-building programme for students, teachers, members of various ministries, local and international tourists, through public relations in cooperation with the press and TV stations as well as publications and presentations at national and international conferences - so that the island may become a model project and will be kept under sustainable protection. CHICOP's network also includes several universities and institutes that send scientists to the islands for research purposes. Besides environmental protection, funded by income from tourism, CHICOP's concept includes generating the greatest possible economic benefits for the neighbouring population (for details see below).

Meanwhile, there are 41 skilled staff working for the implementation of the concept of CHICOP in three different locations. The project director, Sibylle Riedmiller, lives on the mainland in Tanga. The back-up management (a total of 15 people) is located in Zanzibar Town with Helen Peeks as the responsible project manager (a former British aid worker with several years of work experience in Tanzania). A staff of 25 on Chumbe Island is responsible for the management of the reef, the protection of the forest, and for looking after the tourists. Four of the 41 staff members are foreigners (the project director, the project manager, the education coordinator and the marketing manager). The positions of the education coordinator and the marketing manager are staffed by volunteers who work for low salaries and free accommodation. In February 2005, the post of the education coordinator will be taken over by an employee of the Ministry of Education who is given leave of absence. So far, a total of 65 international and national volunteers have worked for the project as short-term staff, partly in an honorary capacity, including five experts from the German Senior Expert Service. Moreover, the work of national and international academic researchers, who have found an additional field of activity on and around Chumbe Island, is very valuable and conducive to the project. International researchers must obtain a permit from the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Dar es Salaam and cooperate with local researchers. The costs of logistic support during their stay are covered by the project.

4. APPRAISAL

The comparison of CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK with the TODO! criteria for socially responsible tourism results in the following appraisal:

Contest criterion:

Involving of the different interests and requirements of the local people through participation

The tourism component of CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK is a requirement for achieving the objectives of the project and as such is an integral component of the overall concept. The Project originates from the idea and commitment of a single individual who had to win the acceptance of the local population. It meets the requirement of the TO DO! criterion as follows:

  • While negotiations with the government were underway, which led to the three aforementioned agreements (lease of land for tourism infrastructure, forest management, reef management), a series of meetings were held with the fishermen in their villages in order to obtain their approval. These meetings have been continued ever since. Three times a year, one of the seven rangers responsible for consulting and awareness-building goes to visit each of the four villages of the men who fish around Chumbe. The gatherings are used as source of information about the situation on and around Chumbe and to discuss the immediate economic advantages for the fishermen resulting from the protection of the reef. The CHICOP rangers carry out daily monitoring to prevent potential violations in the protected area. The project has gained a high level of acceptance from the fishermen, most of whom have come to realize the benefits of abandoning the exploitation of the sanctuary. The rangers are unarmed. Whenever they catch a fisherman in the sanctuary, which is clearly identified by demarcation and security buoys, they try to solve the conflict through dialogue and attempts to convince the fishermen of the cause, which in most cases turns out to be a successful strategy. Obstinate cases are reported to the Department of Fisheries. The accused then face the loss of their license.


  • The management plan 1995-2005 was developed in cooperation with the major stakeholders: They include representatives of the affected villages, the government, the university, and the private sector.


  • CHICOP has established an Advisory Committee, which used to assemble annually in the past and now meets as required. Its members are the mayors of the four villages and representatives of the Departments of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment and the Institute of Marine Sciences.


  • As compensation for abandoning the use of the reef, the village representatives asked for job opportunities on Chumbe Island in tourism and nature conservation. Their demands were met. All of the seven rangers come from the villages and so do some of the other staff.


  • CHICOP's staff is involved in the planning and decision-making processes. They take part in meetings of the entire staff (if required), monthly meetings at management level, weekly meetings of the back-up teams in Zanzibar and weekly staff meetings of those employees working on Chumbe, all of whom come from the local population. Minutes of these meetings are recorded. The appraiser got the impression, that the staff has a sense of 'ownership' and has, thus, developed a high level of identification with the project.


  • The project director in Tanga, Sibylle Riedmiller, leaves the management almost entirely up to the teams in Zanzibar Town and on Chumbe Island. Currently, Ms. Riedmiller herself only exercises her general monitoring responsibility. In addition, she is engaged in networking with international institutions (networking with national institutions is the project manager's responsibility) in order to present the project beyond national boundaries and to raise additional funds for CHICOP's training programme (for more detail see below). The management on Chumbe Island is entirely in the hands of the local skilled personnel.
The points referred to above are to be rated very positively. However, the appraiser feels that the sentence 'The Chumbe Marine Protected Area is being protected on behalf of the local population, and is managed BY the local population' in one of the CHICOP papers is somewhat exaggerated. The project director in Tanga and the manager in Zanzibar Town still do exert some influence on the Chumbe team.

Contest criterion:

Strengthening the awareness among the local people with regard to the chances and risks of tourism development in their everyday economic, social and cultural life

As described above, Zanzibar's tourism sector is still young. However, despite the existing master plans its development is uncontrolled and generally not environmentally and socially compatible. Zanzibar's government favours investments in infrastructure for mass tourism (which is particularly obvious on the eastern coast of the island). With CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK, a courageous alternative concept has been created, which counteracts conventional concepts in tourism and demonstrates that environmentally compatible and socio-culturally adapted medium-scale and small projects are, indeed, sustainable.
  • The tough negotiations with the government that led to the agreements of 1993 and 1994, the development of the management plan 1995-2005, as well as the meetings of the Advisory Committee have, at least with respect to some institutions, particularly the Department of Education and the Department of Forestry and Environment, resulted in awareness-building processes and have demonstrated that 'there are also other ways'. Both departments regard the project as very positive.


  • The networking and promotion of the concept of the Chumbe project are pursued intensely and have led to international awards and great recognition by the president of Zanzibar. This is a cause for hope that the young tourism on Pemba, Zanzibar's other larger island, will develop more positively than it has done on Zanzibar itself. Pemba was explicitly mentioned in the president's speech on December 3, 2003. The Chumbe concept could be replicated if investors are prepared to reach similar agreements with the government.


  • About 50% of the Chumbe personnel come from the surrounding villages. The employees are on duty on the island for two weeks and then spend one week at home in the village, where, naturally, they report their experiences of tourism and its positive and negatives aspects.
Contest criterion:

Participation of a broad local population strata regarding the positive economic, social and cultural effects of tourism

  • The tourism rendered possible through CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK (CHICOP) covers the costs for the preservation of the coral reef, which, in time, will create considerable additional economic benefits for the local population. As fish, coral and other species regenerate in the nature reserve and spread to the overfished areas, they will yield income for the fishermen (as far as Zanzibar Town, since the current drifts northward). Here, CHICOP has developed monitoring systems, which are deployed by the students of the Institute of Marine Sciences. A thesis with qualified results is close to completion.


  • Generally, the preservation of the marine and terrestrial biodiversity contributes to economic improvements, which however, can only be measured by sector (income from wood, grass, meat, fish, etc.) without the formulation of clear guidance on who the income should benefit (distribution). In addition, it is not possible to quantify the economic effects of CHICOP's intense awareness-building activities. Since 1998, the project has informed around 2,000 pupils and over 160 teachers about the biodiversity of the island and the coral reef during day trips free of charge.


  • All CHICOP's buildings on Chumbe have palm roofs. Thousands of the palm roof 'sheets' with a size of ca. 100 times 40 centimetres have to be replaced every five or six years. Traditionally, the sheets are made by women, who according to local standards, earn a good income through the activity (app. 110 Tanz. shillings per sheet, about 9 Euro cents). All other building materials are local materials, which are available in Zanzibar. Their use yields income for the local manufacturers.


  • The project uses only organic soaps produced by a women's cooperative, which are a steady source of income for these women.


  • All the food needed on Chumbe comes from local markets.


  • 37 of the 40 staff members are locals who are paid above-average salaries. Tips from tourists provide considerable additional earnings. They are shared between the local staff on Chumbe and Zanzibar.


  • All of the project's seven rangers are excellent swimmers. They have helped fishermen during hundreds of accidents and have saved the lives of some of them.


  • Almost half of the 2,000 pupils who got to know Chumbe's ecology as day tourists are girls (who usually cannot swim and are the first to die in boat accidents). On Chumbe, they learn, among other things, to overcome their fear of water and to snorkel (they keep their clothes on). The underwater world is an entirely new experience for them.


  • 18 of the 37 local staff members are women (11 in Zanzibar Town, 7 on Chumbe). Those on Chumbe work outside their villages and away from their families for two weeks, which is unusual in an Islamic context. Surely, this is conducive to their emancipation.
Contest criterion:

Guarantee of the attractiveness of jobs in tourism for the local people by improving working conditions in relation to payment, social security, working hours, education and training

  • The written employment contracts are in compliance with Zanzibari law (Labour Act 1997, Social Security Act 1998). The salaries, however, are considerably higher. The staff is paid an annual inflationary compensation of up to a maximum of five percent of the inflation rate. The contracts are renewed annually after the respective person has carried out self-assessment and his or her job performance has been discussed with the project manager. In the case of good performance, bonuses are paid whenever financially possible. Taxes and social security contributions are duly paid. The costs for medical care through the national health care system are assumed by the project. Food and accommodation on CHUMBE ISLAND are free of charge. The staff work there for two weeks and are then taken to their respective villages for their week off.


  • CHICOP has invested a lot in the basic training and further education of the staff, of whom hardly anyone has ever gone through any formal education. This is compensated in special education and training programmes and continued in on-the-job training programmes. The training activities are conducted in-country by domestic and international short-term professionals. Some of the subjects are: English, labour legislation, basic health care, computing, GPS navigation, ecology, nature conservation, requirements of the entire scope of tourism (kitchen, waitressing, servicing and maintenance of the accommodation, etc.), teaching skills for the educational programme for pupils.


  • Depending on the situation (short training programmes, conferences, presentation of awards), incentive and exposure trips have been and continue to be offered to some of the skilled staff. The destinations include South Africa, Germany (EXPO), Australia, the USA, and Great Britain.
The good employment contracts and working conditions, as well as the education and training measures, have lead to a good team spirit. The guestbook is full of praise for the staff.

Contest criterion:

Reinforcement of the local culture as well as the cultural identity of those living in tourism destination areas

  • The sea has had a profound influence on the identity of the population of Zanzibar Island. CHICOP's environmental education programme for secondary school pupils, students, government employees, and other interested guests, which is only partly financed by donor funds, makes a valuable contribution to strengthening the local maritime culture. The rangers (former fishermen) inform the visitors very competently about the entire ecological spectrum. Issues are: the island's flora and fauna, the coast line surrounding the island, and the reef.


  • So far, about 160 teachers have taken part in the programme. The teachers of sustainable environmental management are trained, among others, by experts from the Agriculture Training Institute, the College of Education, and the university.


  • A ten-page 'Teachers' Manual of the Coral Reefs in Zanzibar' was produced for use in the training sessions, which helps to combine classroom work with field experience. It was developed in a five-day workshop with financial support from the Ministry of Education and distributed all over Zanzibar. Participants of the workshop were: teachers, the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Training Centre and School Inspectors. Additional manuals on deforestation, mangroves, waste management, and air and water pollution are currently being developed. Through this, CHICOP is aiming for environmental education to be officially included in the school curricula.


  • CHICOP supports the formation of Environment Clubs in schools.


  • The project has managed, against official government policies and against general 'development' trends, to construct the buildings on Chumbe in the climatically and culturally adapted Arab style (with some innovations, see below).


  • Against the trend of importing food for the preparation of meals according to Western tastes, the project has managed to very successfully prepare and serve the traditional meals of Zanzibar. Again, references to this can be found in the guestbook.


  • The tourists' great appreciation of Chumbe and its reef, the architecture and the cuisine have contributed to the locals' increased identification with their nature and culture. It was evident that they were very pleased with our approval as visitors, and with the fact that we regard the island as worthy of protection.
Contest criterion:

Avoidance or minimisation of social and cultural damage caused by tourism in destination areas

  • Each bungalow is equipped with an 'etiquette manual' for tourists. It points out, among other things, that the majority of the staff adhere to Islam and that, therefore, one should dress adequately on the island.


  • For religious reasons, during the fasting month of Ramadhan, the rangers do not work as snorkel tour guides. Thus, CHICOP employs a non-Muslim volunteer for that month.


  • Each tourist is given a large bath towel to cover their body when returning from bathing and snorkelling.


  • If a tourist wishes to tip a member of staff individually, the 'etiquette manual' points out that one should not forget those who are not present at the moment.
Contest criterion:

Projects and measures entered for the contest must be in line with the principles of environmental compatibility

  • The project has been developed as a model for sustainable nature conservation, whereby the tourism activities, conducted on a commercial basis, cover the costs for the non-commercial technical protection measures: demarcation of the nature reserve by buoys, maintenance of the paths, extermination of the rats that have been brought onto the island and the 'crown-of-thorns' starfish, which are prevailing in the area. The starfish are lethal for the reef as they can eat up a living coral block and its polyps and leave behind nothing but the bare chalk-white skeleton. Income from tourism also covers the costs of environmental campaigns (information leaflets, awareness-building, environmental education, networking, etc.). The entire island and the western reef have been turned into a conservation area.


  • The buildings constructed by the project meet the highest ecological standards. Solar energy is used for the bungalows (lighting and hot water). Rain water is collected from the palm roofs (there is no ground water on the old coral reef the island is made up of). Used water is filtered through several layers of sand and then directed onto plant beds, which absorb the water and pollutants (phosphates and nitrates). Such caution is necessary to prevent any sewage from seeping through the cavernous stone into the sensitive reef. This is also true for the (odour free) dry or compost toilets. After the four-week summer break, before the tourism business is taken up again, the humus that has developed in the meantime can easily be cleared and is then passed on to farmers.


  • The building materials do not have to be imported, but are available on Zanzibar's main island.


  • Decomposable waste is composted, and the rest is taken to Zanzibar Town where, however, public waste disposal is rather more of a 'Wild West standard'. The 'etiquette manual' calls upon the tourists to take plastic waste home with them.


  • On his incursions across and around the island, the assessor did not find a single piece of discarded, non-decomposable waste.


  • For ecological reasons, the number of overnight tourists is limited to a maximum of 5,000 per year. This is due to the accommodation capacity which is deliberately limited to 15 beds in seven bungalows with a maximum of 335 operating days.


  • The paths between the visitor's centre and the bungalows are not illuminated in order not to disturb nocturnal animals such as the nearly extinct coconut crab. Therefore, each bungalow is equipped with a solar torch.


  • Snorkelling is only permitted during high tide to prevent damage to the corals by the boats taken out by the tourists and people touching them.


  • Wall charts and posters in the visitor's centre give clear explanations of the concept and system of the project.


Contest criterion:

Securing the future - Which measures or mechanisms can guarantee the economical and institutional sustainability of the project?

'If I had proposed clear-cutting the island and erecting a Sheraton I would have had a much easier time', said Ms. Riedmiller. She chose not to do it, but to take the hard way. She did not join the 'mainstream' which favours mass tourism. On the path to a conservation area, the costs of which are covered by tourism, and which is largely operated by and benefiting local people, she did not try to avoid the difficult obstacles by paying 'acceleration fees'. (On the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, Tanzania rates among the top most corrupt countries.) Due to the refusal to respond to that fact, the estimated investment costs in Chumbe Island increased by over 300 percent! Riedmiller's conviction that the concept is reasonable as well as her integrity, however, raise problems regarding the sustainability of the project.
  • CHICOP has demonstrated for years that the operating costs for the management of the island and the reef and for the extensive environmental education programme can be covered by the income from tourists. This is achieved with an annual occupancy rate of 40%. In this respect, the economic and institutional sustainability is ensured. So far, however, the earned income has not been sufficient to cover the investment costs (due to the above mentioned 300 percent higher investment costs). Yet, considering the anticipated 60% occupancy rate, this is now gradually changing. If the investor insisted on an early repayment, the objective - nature conservation that benefits the local population - would be lost. If the island were to be sold, it would be in danger of 'Sheratonisation'.


  • The political sustainability is uncertain: The Marine Sanctuary Agreement (signed for ten years) must be renewed. Will this be possible without financial assistance? The Landlease Agreement and the Closed Forest Agreement (both signed for 33 years) do not offer the project any definite security, since the Environmental Protection and Management Act of 1996 contains a clause that allows the government to terminate all agreements 'for the sake of the environment'. To terminate the agreements for that reason would indeed be utterly ironic, as CHICOP is a showcase project of environmental management.


  • National and international attention, awards, support from those government sectors that are responsible for education, promotion of employment opportunities and nature conservation give reason for hope that CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK will survive and may be replicated elsewhere in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Replication is an important prerequisite for sustainability.


5. RECOMMENDATIONS

Information on the cultural, social, and economic circumstances of the inhabitants of the surrounding villages should be available in the visitor's centre.

In addition, information may be made available on 'what happened in and around Chumbe' (the lighthouse, the confrontation of the ships 'Königsberg' and 'Pegasus' during the First World War, the landing of the ferry due to its mechanical breakdown, the sinking of the sailing yacht, the rangers' rescue operations, etc.)

The development of the NGO-scene should be watched. One of these days an NGO may be found that will relieve and complement the project in the environmental education sector. It may, for instance, develop and disseminate teaching materials on Zanzibar on a bigger scale than CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK can manage


6. CONCLUSION

The initiator and the members of CHICOP have managed, under difficult framework conditions, to develop a model project that benefits local and foreign tourists (recreation and awareness-building), the nature on and around Chumbe (conservation and rehabilitation) and the local population (employment and increase of income through fishery, delivery of building materials and foodstuffs). Through communication, consultation and guidance as well as regular meetings, the main parties involved, i.e. the CHICOP personnel, the fishermen of the surrounding villages and representatives of the government and the university, are adequately integrated in the development and activities of the project. CHICOP is economically and institutionally sustainable. For good reasons, the project has drawn national and international attention. This fact, as well as its explicit acknowledgement by Zanzibar's President, give reason for hope that it can be replicated in other parts of the country, which would, in turn, improve its as yet rather uncertain political sustainability.

Adress:  

CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK
Sibylle Riedmiller/Helen Peeks
P.O.Box 3203, Zanzibar/Tanzania
phone/fax: +255-24-2231040
E-mail: info@chumbeisland.com
Web: http://www.chumbeisland.com


Organiser of the TO DO! 2004 - Contest:
Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V.
Kapellenweg 3, D-82541 Ammerland/Starnberger See
Tel. +49-(0)8177-1783, Fax: +49-(0)8177-1349
E-Mail: info@studienkreis.org
Website: www.studienkreis.org

in Cooperation with:

German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ)

German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)

Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism

Europäische Reiseversicherung AG

The Protestant Churches' Development Services (EED) - Tourism Watch

Catholic Foreign Office of the German Bishops' Conference

Messe Berlin GmbH