The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in partnership with local stakeholders and service providers, preparing for cruise ship visits in October 2023.
The MS Volendam is scheduled to call into Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) on the 17th of October whilst the MS Noordam will call into Kiritimati Island on the 21st of October and the National Geographic Orion has scheduled calls into Butaritari and Tarawa on the 25th and 26th of October 2023 respectively.
To ensure a seamless visit for the National Geographic Orion, a team from the TAK in Tarawa has been dispatched to Butaritari. Their mission is to explore various options and collaborate with the Island Council, Bikaati Community, and Ukiangang Community to identify the most suitable location for the cruise ship to visit.
Meanwhile, the TAK office in Kiritimati has been engaged in extensive preparations for the arrival of MS Noordam and MS Volendam. These preparations include regular clean-up efforts at potential tourism sites every Saturday leading up to the cruise ship’s arrival. Additionally, they have been conducting customer service training for handicraft vendors and transport operators. Furthermore, surveys have been conducted to assess the safety and usability of wharf facilities, and depth sounding of boat passages has been carried out.
Preparations are ongoing to ensure that they are fully prepared for the arrival of cruise ships with the goal of providing a warm and welcoming experience for passengers and crews alike.
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