The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted a 1-week consultation on Niche Tourism Product Development on Butaitari from 27 May – 2 June 2022.
The consultation was done with Keuea village, Ukiangang Meang and Maiaki, Bikaati islet and Tanimaiaki village, Te unimwaane association and Butaritari island council.
The five participating communities confirmed their tourism product offerings, and these include Marine Protected Area (MPA) tour, giant clam tour, mangrove forest tour, World War ll tours, including the bombing of Keuea and Kaukinanganga event, island cultural tour including Nantekei war dance, sports tourism (te uniwakaa), and agritourism.
The consultation included discussions on product development stages, product quality and pricing and a training workshop on tourism package development.
Through this mission, TAK helped establish the Butaritari Tourism Development Working Committee (BTDWC) as a standing committee of the island council. The BTDWC will be mandated to oversee the development and management of tourism product development and other tourism related activities on the island.
The Butaritari island council and the new working committee have extended their full support to TAK to help develop Butaritari as a resilient and sustainable tourism destination.
