BYUH ohana visit island to learn and build connections on the island where to sun rises first on earth
To expand connection and learning, four BYU–Hawaii students and Hospitality and Tourism Management Program Director Jeff Christensen, spent two weeks this past August visiting Christmas Island in Kiribati. Christensen said Christmas Island is the first place the sun rises on planet Earth and from stargazing to bonefishing, this paradise has been somewhat of a secret to the common world until now. Christensen explained, through their student-led organization Ibea, they have significant plans to build sustainable tourism on Christmas Island that honors the land, the people and their rich culture.
Christensen said what used to be ideas in a classroom are now being put into motion on Christmas Island through Ibea.
According to Tamwake Kuraotio, a sophomore majoring in HTM from Kiribati and team lead on the trip, Ibea is a Kiribati word that describes the glow in the morning sky just before the sun rises, as well as the glow shortly after the sun sets. Kuraotio likened the word "Ibea" to the current state of the project. He said he believes Ibea is just scratching the surface of possibilities in store for Christmas Island.
Describing what working on this project was like, Kuraotio said, “Our team believes this project is inspired by God.” He explained, the government of Kiribati intends to make tourism the main source of income, and Ibea has the tools to make their goals a sustainable reality in a way that honors the land and people.
Christensen said regarding tourism on Christmas Island, “I am surprised it has not been developed already. … There are really unique landscapes, and the color of the water is like nothing I've ever seen.” He explained, Christmas Island is on the map for world class bonefishing, saltwater fly fishing as well as a premiere dive site with some of the best diving in the world - not to mention the intricate bird species that reside there, and certified dark sky locations, he added.
The surf is said to be legendary, Christensen said. However, he noted, world-class surfers keep this secret paradise hidden. The infrastructure is nowhere equipped to accommodate the mass of people who would book a trip in search of the wave of their life. Christensen said, “We felt this sense of urgency to preserve it.”
“I grew up there,” said Ibea team member and freshman majoring in HTM, Timeon Murdoch. “My dad was a fisherman. We lived out of the ocean.” Murdoch explained he would never come straight home from school. He and his friends would climb coconut trees, swim in the lake and then go home late in the afternoon.
He explained some may assume locals would be unhappy with the idea of tourism coming to their island, but Murdoch said he feels otherwise. “Every time anyone asks me about this I get emotional. I am very passionate about this. ... I don’t want my island to turn into another Waikiki. We want to do it the right way and also work along with the government to do this.”
According to Kuraotio, the Kiribati government was sincerely grateful for their efforts. Kuraotio said, “It took us two weeks to do what would have been done in one or two years.” Explaining some of their efforts, Christensen said they influenced policy changes to preserve important natural landscapes as national parks instead of high-rise development areas and established an NGO to support start-up businesses through micro-loans.
“We took a survey to the local people to [learn] what they thought about tourism on the island,” says Kuraotio. He explained, they needed to know what kind of tourism the people of Kiribati wanted. He also said they surveyed tourist guests to learn, and know what Ibea could do to help. Regarding locals involvement with this tourism project, Christensen said Ibea is writing tourism training and certification manuals for future employees as requested from the Kiribati government, as well as providing tourism business training to over 120 high school students.
Reflecting on the experience and what his students put into action, Christensen said, “From the very outset, their devotion to the project was impressive to me. … It is really rewarding to me as a program director to see other students be inspired and recognize what they can do in their home countries.” He also mentioned Ibea will be returning to Christmas Island this coming December to move forward in shaping the future of the island.
Kuraotio said, the four students who went to Christmas Island are setting a standard not only for BYUH students, but also for the world. Kuraotio said, “What we are doing is in line with the mission of the school and with the Lord. I want to raise this voice.” Addressing international students from Kiribati all over the world he continued, “Don’t just focus on yourself, but focus on our people … for a better future.”
