ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the developments before making an overall assessment of whether eco-tourism can provide a new way for the Marovo people to gain value from their land and sea. However, even the rumour of Utopia will be denied to Marovo if the rainforests are seen to be desecrated by means other than "acceptably traditional" swidden cultivation. The new wave is led by outsiders who perceive the value of conservation to lie in preserving nature, landscape and biodiversity. The Dutch volunteers in Munda take a lead in translating Christian environmentalism into practical rules for managing the forests. The Solomon Islands Government has signed UNESCO's "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage", and so is pledged to conserve listed sites situated on its territory. Until recently tourism in Marovo was dominated by these foreign-owned enterprises, and independent tourists disembarking from a flight to Seghe or an inter-island ship to Patutiva met with an absolute lack of accommodation.
