Every year 400 skilled young Australians travel abroad as part of the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program. They bring fresh ideas and contribute to sustainable international development efforts by exchanging knowledge with colleagues and strengthening institutions across Asia, the Pacific and Africa.
In 2009, Dr Glen Hornby took leave from teaching tourism and technology at Griffith University to work with the Kiribati National Tourism Office. It was an AYAD assignment designed to help put Kiribati on the tourism map and alleviate poverty by generating sustainable tourism income.
Kiribati (pronounced Kirr-i-bas) consists of 33 islands about half way between Australia and Hawaii. It has a population of approximately 110,000.
Glen was unsure at first how his role as a digital coordinator with the tourist office would support economic development in Kiribati. But while doing his own background research, Glen had trouble finding up to date and useful travel information about the country he would soon call home.
'Guidebooks didn't have much information, and the Kiribati website hadn't been updated for years. It turned out that the technology was old and clunky, and it was very difficult for anyone to update,' said Glen.
Working closely with colleagues at the tourist office, Glen learned about the culture and hidden treasures of Kiribati. In turn, he offered new strategies for providing more accessible information to potential visitors and highlighting Kiribati as a holiday destination.
The team developed a new country tourism website, resulting in enormous increases in website traffic. One weekend the site attracted more than 3000 visitors–three quarters of the current numbers of tourists to the country each year.
The tourist office also started a weekly newsletter, showcasing events, tours and special packages, for distribution at the airport and to more than 300 email subscribers.
'Together these things mean people are now finding the information they want, which can contribute to increasing numbers of visitors to Kiribati and result in much needed economic growth.'
Glen returned to teaching at Griffith University after his AYAD assignment and incorporated a case study on Kiribati into the sustainable tourism curriculum.
Inspired by his time as a youth ambassador and eager to continue working in the Pacific, Glen successfully applied for an assignment with Australian Volunteers International. He is heading back to Kiribati this month for 18 months.
More information
The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program (AYAD) [external website]
AusAID at work in Kiribati