Taare Rikiai – Page 15 – Kaongora Newsletter

Connectivity vital for tourism in Pacific Small Island States

November 3, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

Republic of Kiribati’s Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry, and Cooperative (MTCIC), Honourable Michael Bootii Nauan, highlighted the concerns of Small Island States and Territories regarding air connectivity to SISTs in the region.

He made these comments as a panelist presenting on Improving Air Connectivity for Small Island States at the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit, organised by the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) at the Edgewater Resort and Spa in Cook Islands.

Hon Nauan was part of the Ministerial Panel 2 on Enhancing Pacific resilience and competitiveness through sustainable tourism alongside French Polynesia Vice President Honourable Jean-Christophe Bouissou, Cook Islands Associate Minister for Tourism Honourable Tingika Elikana and New Caledonia Tourism Director General Ms. Julie Laronde.

In highlighting his recommendations to the question of ‘How air connectivity to SISTs could be improved, Hon Nauan shared that continued Development partner support to connect SIST with source markets, where the Nauru Airlines Island Hopper Program, supported by DFAT, effectively connects Nauru, Kiribati, RMI, and FSM with Australia on a fortnightly basis.

He added that there is also an opportunity for PRC-aligned countries to attract the Asia market through seasonal or charter services supported by our Chinese counterparts. Development partner support through destination marketing to help support SIST promotional initiatives in the source market will also help improve loading for supporting schedules.

On airline support, Hon Nauan expressed that current Pacific air carriers play an important role in enabling SIST destinations to grow through reduced fare consideration where possible and more flexibility on SIST sector fares to allow for last-minute changes dues to industry conditions in SIST’s.

“If we are talking about sustainable tourism- connectivity on the region, what comes to mind, how we can connect those dots and how to maintain this. Flights to these SISTs are very high, and many tourism refrains from traveling across,” Hon Nauan mentioned.

The Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit was held on Wednesday 02 November, ahead of the Pacific Council of Tourism Ministers meeting on Thursday 03 November 2022.

Inaugural survey visit by TAK to Tamana island

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The distant island of Tamana also known as “My small paradise” was visited by the Research and Statistics Division to carry out its annual workplan activities. These activities include the Outer Island Perception Surveys (OIPS), the Tourism Business Inventory Survey (TBIS) and island mapping.

The OIPS is a survey seeking the views and perceptions of the locals on the value of tourism to their communities and island. Some of the information collected relates to income from tourism; the perceived environmental, economic and sociocultural impacts of tourism to name a few.

The TBIS was the second survey conducted and it collects information such as staff numbers, room and bed inventory, and facilities and services offered from the accommodation providers on the island. This is part of TAK’s annual workplan to update the national accommodation database for the Gilbert, Line and Phoenix islands.

There are 2 accommodation providers on the island, namely the Tamana Island Council Guesthouse and the Kiribati Protestant Church (KPC) Guesthouse located in Bakaaka village.

The team also plotted tourism attraction sites on the island using a GPS device for mapping purposes. The completed visitor map will serve as a guide for those who wish to explore the island.

TAK was part of the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC) team that visited Tamana to celebrate the National Coconut and Cooperative Day for the first time on the 22^nd of October.

Accompanying the Honourable Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr Booti Nauan along with his wife Dr Tabuaka Nauan, were diplomatic representatives from the Chinese Embassy, Australian High Commission, New Zealand High Commission and the owner of OceanLink.

This was the first the time for the Research & Statistics Division to conduct its activities on the island.

Tourism office conducted Bakery training on Tamana Island

November 1, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati conducted four days of bakery training for accommodation providers and representatives from different villages from 18 to 21 October 2022.

The training was part of Tamana Islands’ preparation for Coconut and Cooperative Day, celebrated in Tamana on October 22. The event is celebrated annually and is part of the Ministry of Tourism Commerce and Industry Cooperative activities.

The objective of this training is to help accommodation providers on Tamana Island explore new skills in baking and be able to bake a variety of baking whenever they have a guest to give them the Mauri way taste of local cuisines.

Villagers from Barebuka attended the four-day training. A total of 17 participants were involved in the activity. The workshop trainers shared ten recipes throughout the training, including coconut roll, cream donut, soft and decorated donut, striped coconut bread, chocolate cake, coconut cake, mini milo ball, simple vanilla cake, condensed milk cake, and banana cake.

During the coconut day event, participants showcased what they had baked at the TAK booth as a giveaway to whoever wanted to taste it.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati hoped that following the workshop, participants could enhance their baking skills to add to their existing recipes they had learnt to offer guests and travelers when visited in the future.

TAK acknowledges the support from the Ministry and will roll out the same training to other islands which has not yet visited.

Tamana Island keen for tourism restart

October 31, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The island of Tamana (pronounced Tamena) in the southern part of the Gilbert Islands in Kiribati is nationally known as the island of men, a repetitive phrase often echoed by the old men during traditional welcome ceremonies. This reference is a reflection of the island’s motto of “A man needs to be very skillful and healthy so that he is ready and prepared to provide for his family’s daily living and needs, especially in times of stormy weather’.

Tamana traditional dance depicts its closeness to the Polynesian archipelago and its geographical location has situated it off the beaten track tourism destination in Kiribati.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK), through its safe, smart, and sustainable tourism restart to tourism program delivered a 4-days training on the island from 18 – 21 October 2022.

It was ideated that the trainings will provide participants with a better understanding on how to effectively manage their tourism businesses’. The trainings recommended that these could be achieved through value adding products and services.

The tourism business fundamentals training highlighted significant points to operate and market a tourism business while the Kiribati Tourism and Hospitality Protocols for the New Normal aimed at improving and enhancing the safety of both the consumers and the service providers in the post Covid19 situation.

Representatives from Tamana Island Council Guesthouse and the KPC Guesthouse participated and completed the training.

The monitoring and evaluation exercise to assess the guesthouses’ staffs compliance to the protocols.

The training was provided as part of the preparation and support to the National Coconut and Cooperative Day on the 22nd October 2022.

Nonouti Island Community-Based Tourism development progressing.

November 1, 2022October 31, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in collaboration with the Business Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC) continued its community-based tourism program on Nonouti Island from 14 – 31 October 2022.

Through this mission, the team worked with participating communities to develop their community- based tourism business plans. This included consultation with participating communities on business name ideas, package and pricing and other necessary information required for the business plan completion.

A total of 6 island communities participated in the exercise and they included Autukia village, Rootin Abamakoro and CM Umwantewenei.

The business plan development will assist these 3 communities to understand the basics of the business and revenue management skills that will help sustain their business. Sustainability will be core to Nonouti island’s community-based tourism businesses with economic prosperity, cultural preservation, and environmental protection as their guiding pillars.

The 2 program also included product trial, development of product sign boards and a lobster cooking competition to boost community capacity authentic culinary experience.

The mission concluded with the cultural trade fair and the world food day celebration as a wrap of the LDCF Project 1 featuring winners of the lobster cookery champion, best fishing guides and food security award.

The Nonouti community-based tourism participating communities’ business plans will be endorsed during the launch and familiarisation trip in November 2022.

Abemama island hosts community-based tourism package tour famil

October 31, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The island of Abemama hosted a familiarisation tour of its newly launched community-based tourism products from 14 – 17 October 2022.

Led by the Minister for Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives (MTCIC), Honourable Bootii Nauan, the group also included the Minister for Ministry of Infrastructure & Sustainable Energy (MISE), Honourable Willie Tokataake, New Zealand High Commissioner, H.E Andre Van Der Walt, Australian Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Tim Gill, Kiribati inbound tour operators (Kiribati Holidays and Air Kiribati), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) country rep and senior government officials.

Arriving in Abemama via a chartered flight, the group was accorded a traditional welcome by members of Tabiang village at Abemama airport.

The group’s itinerary was based on the islands 3 days community-based tour packaged that included traditional dance entertainment by Baretoa community, an island tour of cultural shrines and historical sites. Reina community showcased their farm to table and ocean to plate tour which included babai planting demonstration and coconut tree planting. The island’s women’s group, Ainen wiikin Abemama hosted to a sumptuous lunch feast and the group concluded their activities with a tour in Abatiku islet.

The famil was an opportunity for participants to sample Abemamas’ recently launched community-based tourism product packages and offer insights and feedback through TAK on how the program could be improved to better suit traveller needs.

The activity was supported by the Kiribati LDCF Project I, funded by the Global Environment Funds (GEF) and implemented under the Environment & Conservation Division, MELAD with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Kiritimati Island Trade Show and Quality Day 2022

October 29, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives (MTCIC) in Kiritimati Island hosted the 2022 Kiritimati Trade show and Quality Day at the Mini stadium in London, Kiritimati on Friday 21^st October 2022.

The theme of this year’s event was ‘Quality Domestic Trades Strengthen Product Integrity’ and was officially opened by Kiritimati Island Mayor, Mr. Naatua Teiti and was attended by representatives of the public and private sector.

This is an annual gathering of local producers and manufacturers who aim to increase public understanding of their products and services through demonstration, promotion and consumer engagement.

MTCIC used the event to also evaluate the prices and quality of the goods and services against customer expectation and the prescribed standards required for domestic and international trade.

The exhibition booths at the event featured handicraft and traditional clothing and artifact creators, local salt producer, traditional food produced like smoked fish, and outboard motor spare parts operators.

Kiribati signs Pacific Leader’s Sustainable Tourism Commitment

October 7, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

Kiribati’s Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperative (MTCIC), Honourable Bootii Nauan affirmed his country’s obligation to sustainable tourism development when he signed the Pacific Leaders Sustainable Tourism Commitment in Tarawa this morning.

This regional commitment by the Pacific Council of Tourism Ministers commits to elevate sustainable tourism as a regional priority for environmental, socio-cultural and economic development. The Council further commits to make tourism in the Pacific a force for good by adopting the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework to put the tourism sector and communities on a path to sustainable recovery by 2030.

In signing this commitment, Hon. Nauan said that “this is a step forward in the right direction for us as we meticulously work to map Kiribati’s tourism development journey based on the core values of resilience and sustainability”. He added that Kiribati is a pristine destination that is deeply rooted in rich cultural values and must ensure that these are preserved through tourism.

Kiribati’s commitment to sustainable tourism development is framed in the country’s Sustainable Tourism Development Policy Framework developed in 2021. The framework provides the platform for the development of sustainability indicators for the destination in 2022 and its National Sustainable Tourism Policy scheduled for early 2023.

Hon, Nauan will lead his delegation later this month to formally submit its commitment at the Council of Tourism Ministers meeting and Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Tourism Officer completes community-based tourism short course

October 3, 2022October 3, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) Tourism Officer Product Development Ms Kiarake Karuaki participated in the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme short course on “Enhancing sustainability by linking culture, nature and community through tourism”, organised by the Islamic Tourism Centre.

The course is based on Malaysian best practices and approaches on community-based tourism (CBT). It highlights the importance of linking culture, nature, and community as a CBT product, homestay program and rural development, innovative approaches to wildlife tourism and conservation, integrating marine conservation and tourism, empowering local communities through cultural tourism, culture and heritage preservation and restoration through responsible tourism.

The short course has provided Ms. Karuaki with a better insight on CBT development which contribute more to building capacity and experience for tourism product development. Learning about homestay program and how it is encouraged and implemented successfully by the Malaysian local communities was a key highlight of this course.

Key lessons attained during from the course will play an important role on how TAK can encourage and develop the homestay experience with the local island communities engaged in such a niche market.

Ms. Karuaki is playing a crucial role in developing community-based tourism products on the islands of Abemama, Nonouti, Maiana and Butaritari.

COVID-19 safety protocols training in South Tarawa

October 2, 2022 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted Covid-19 Safety Protocols Training for the Betio Lodge, Mary’s Motel, and Eniita Airport Lodge from 15 – 24 September 2022.

The 2-days per property training was attended by a total of 17 staffs across the 3 properties, most of whom are front-line staff.

The training focuses on health, safety and hygiene in the workplace and participants are certified as ambassadors of the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Property General Managers applauded TAK for its support to tourism SMEs to encourage and promote a safe, smart, and sustainable tourism restart in Kiribati.

TAK will continue to work with all accommodation providers to ensure that they are compliant to the basic COVID-19 safety requirements and will provide further support where needed.

Tourism Authority Kiribati