The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) launched the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Development Policy Framework (KSTDPF)during their UNWTO World Tourism Day celebration on Monday 27 September 2021.
In presenting the document, TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau shared that the KSTDPF frames Kiribati’s sustainable tourism goals with the aim to achieve a suitable balance between the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
He added that the framework draws from the of aspirations of the Kiribati 20 Year Vision (KV20), the recommendations of the Pacific Sustainability Tourism Policy Framework 2021 (PSTPF), and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)/United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – Journey to 2030.
With 7 sustainable goals, the KSTDPF is integrated across other policy areas and discusses a set of priorities required to achieve each of these goals. It recommends that these priorities utilise Kiribati’s existing policies and legislations that address the core principles of environmental, socio-cultural, and economic development and to guide the ongoing development and management of tourism post COVID-19.
These goals include the commitment that tourism must protect the natural environment, it must preserve Kiribati’s cultural and historical heritage, promote community & social well-being, guarantee visitor satisfaction, health, and safety, contribute to national economic prosperity, inspire green entrepreneurship and to influence effective leadership.
The policy interventions recommended in the framework is consistent with existing international, regional, and national policies, strategies, and targets and is a result of extensive consultation and collaboration with key public and private sector partners in Kiribati and the region. These consultations have been important to the formulation of a set of priorities and action recommendations required to fulfil each of the 7 goals of the KSTDPF.
TAK believes the COVID-19 has presented Kiribati with the excellent opportunity for a smart and safe restart to tourism and that the goals and priorities of the framework will assist the organisation in helping fulfil its KV20 obligation for sustainable tourism development by 2036.
