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Butaritari Island Further Embraces Opportunity for Community-Based Tourism Development

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) embarked on a visit to Butaritari Island from the 17th to the 24th to foster the development of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Business Plans as part of the tourism product enhancement initiative. Ms. Kiarake Karuaki, an officer specializing in Tourism Product Development and Investment Promotion of TAK, has collaborated with Butaritari villages and communities, aided by the Butaritari Island Council, to shape their tourism offerings.

The consultation for developing Business Plans with CBT operators aims to formalize their activities into small to medium enterprises. These plans will empower communities to navigate the business landscape effectively, including accessing funding or loans for expansion and attracting investment. By establishing a comprehensive business plan, CBTs gain a structured framework for managing and assessing their business performance, aligning with their objectives over time.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati will present these business plans to the CBTs as a mark of recognition, certifying them as CBT operators under its auspices.

Q4 Tourism Review 2023

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati has released its Quarter 4 2023 Tourism Industry Review. The reports focus on international arrivals, domestic tourism data, and other tourism-relevant data. It compares the Q4 international visitor arrivals with Q4 2019, showing the progress after the covid19.

When comparing the Q4 2019 and Q4 2023 visitor arrivals, Kiribati has received an increase in the number of visitors visiting Kiribati, an increase of 20%, due to the frequent flight to Tarawa. This has indicated a steady influx into Kiribati, however, in this quarter a drop in the number of visitors experienced, a drop of 12% when comparing it with Q3 2023.

The top source markets for this quarter were Pacific islanders 31% (721) followed by Australia 14% (329) and USA 13% (290). A new emerging market for this quarter was Other Asian countries with 9% (206) visitors.

Most visitors to Kiribati came for both business and pleasure, with Pacific nationals primarily visiting for work, while visitors from the USA and New Zealand topped the list for leisure purposes.

The report also highlights the trends in the tourism supply, domestic tourism travel, and museum visitation data to name a few which contribute to enhancing the understanding of the tourism current status.

An interesting and most captivating change in visitor trends in Q4 2023 was an increase in the average length of stay for religious visitors when compared to previous quarters. These religious visitors spend 20.7 nights which is higher than the night spend by visitors who came for other purpose of visits.

TAK would like to express its appreciation to Air Kiribati Limited, Marine Guard Division, Immigration Department, Te Umwanibong, Kiribati Customs Office, Shipping Agencies of Kiribati (SAOK), Kiribati National Statistics Office (KNSO) and Tourism operators. Their collaboration and support have been instrumental in gathering relevant data and insights, making this report a comprehensive and robust assessment of the tourism sector in Kiribati.

TAK participates in Pacific Tourism Organization’s events.

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati team attended a weeklong event organized by the Pacific Tourism Organization which took place in Nadi, Fiji from 29th April to 5th May 2024. These events ranged from Tourism research symposium, digital marketing workshop, Sustainable Tourism regional consultations, marketing managers meeting, the SPTO Board of Directors meeting and the 2 day South Pacific Tourism Exchange.

At the Sustainable Regional Consultation workshop, held at Tokatoka Resort, TAK was invited to present on its Mauri Mark Accommodation Standards program as part of the discussions on Pacific Sustainable Tourism standards.

Ko rabwa Pacific Tourism Organization and the sponsors for this successful eventful week of knowledge sharing, increased learning opportunity, regional collaboration, and wonderful networking opportunities.

TAK Presents Sustainable Tourism Initiatives at Blue Economies Workshop.

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The Acting CEO of the Tourism Authority of Kiribati Ms. Reeti Onorio had the opportunity to present on Sustainable Tourism as part of the International Workshop on Sustainable Blue Economies in Pacific Islands and Territories. The Workshop was held at a Convention Hall of the Hyatt Regency Guam from 20 – 21 March 2024 and was followed by a field visit on 22 March 2024 which was attended by participants representing various sectors from the Southern and Northern Pacific region as well as Forum Secretariat’s CROP agencies.

The sustainable blue economies encompass a wide range of sectors including not only fisheries, aquaculture, and marine conservation, but also marine pollution control, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, blue financing, leadership, and human resource development. The invited participants had the opportunity to share updates from their respective sectors on these themes and their latest progress and assessment concerning sustainable blue economies in the Pacific.

TAK had the privilege of sharing Kiribati’s actions on its recently launched Sustainable Tourism policy and Action Plan providing examples of sustainable tourism activities in line with marine ecosystem conservation such as flyfishing in Kiritimati Christmas Island and Community Based Tourism in line with Marine Protected Areas in the Kiribati outer islands.

The Workshop was hosted by the Centre for Island Sustainability, University of Guam (CIS-UoG) and co-organized by the CIS-UoG and the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) with the support of the Centre for Pacific Islands Studies of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the East-West Centre.

The outcome of the Workshop will be shared appropriately at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States to be held in May 2024 whilst its 2nd preparatory committee meeting is to be held in April 2024 along with other relevant international meetings.

TAK participates in Coastal Fisheries Summit in Kiritimati 2024

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati participated in a 3-day Coastal Fisheries Summit from the 26th to the 28th of March, held at the KPF conference room in Kiritimati Island, with the theme, ‘collaborative efforts to move from words into actions in achieving sustainable fishery for all I-Kiribati.’

The summit was sponsored and funded by the Tobwaan Waara Project – New Zealand High Commission to Kiribati and the Pacific Regional Oceanscape Program (PROP) Kiribati Project – World Bank Project. Attendees of the Summit included mayors, clerks, fisheries officials from Kiritimati, Tabuaeran, and Teraina, along with marine-related business operators and relevant government agencies such as the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) based in Kiritimati Island.

The Summit also provided opportunities for tourism-related issues to be presented and discussed. The issues included the crowded flat, chumming of giant trevallies, and Paris marine protected area. Christmas Island Outfitters, a fly-fishing tour operation, voiced out concerns and matters affecting the fly-fishing business in Kiritimati. TAK presented on the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Policy and the overview of tourism in the Line & Phoenix islands.

The Summit ended with a draft ‘way forward’ or work plan drawn by the participants as an outcome of this important 3-day collaborative Summit.”

Tourism Business Inventory Survey and Mauri Mark Assessment on Fanning Island

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted the Tourism Business Inventory Survey (TBIS) and a Mauri Mark Assessment on Fanning Island from the 1st to the 4th of March 2024.
The main purpose of the TBIS is to update TAK’s database of tourism operators, which includes contact details, services offered, available facilities, number of rooms, number of employees, and more.
The survey and assessment accounted only three (3) accommodation establishments on the island, namely: Ala Belle Etoite Guesthouse, Biritita Guesthouse, and Santo Kabiriera Guesthouse.

The Mauri Mark involves the assessment of licensed accommodation providers and assesses that they meet all the required accommodation assessment criteria which include having business operation license, fire safety procedures, health and safety hygiene standards, facilities including in-room facilities, environmental sustainability practices, and guest support services.

The TAK team to Fanning Island was also accompanied by a master fishing guide from Kiritimati who assisted TAK team in conducting GPS mapping on more than 10 fishing flats on Fanning Island.

As a tourist-targeted destination next to Kiritimati Island, well known for its surf and fly-fishing grounds, Fanning has had the opportunity to recommence its domestic flights out of Kiritimati Island hence these activities by the TAK office will allow the opportunity for the island to be prepared to welcome its first international guests again.

TAK Participates in Start & Improve Your Business Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop.

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati participated in an 8 days Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop in ‘Start & Improve Your Business’ (SIYB) held at the Marine Training Centre in Betio from 5th to 14th March 2024.

The SIYB TOT was organized by International Labour Organization (ILO) for Pacific Island Countries in collaboration with the Kiribati Government and funded by the SDG fund through the Join UN Programme on “Accelerating SDG achievement through digital transformation to strengthen community resilience in Micronesia’.
A collaboration organized to address the issue of unemployment and poverty for both rural and urban areas, allowing SIYB trainers to gain acquired knowledge and skills and be able to deliver quality business trainings and sustainable programs.

The Training will also assist the Kiribati government to strengthen and revive its entrepreneurs and cooperatives as key business players to improve economic activities, create jobs, assist in delivering basic services and generate income for communities including women and unemployed youths in the urban and rural areas.
The SIYB workshop focused on six learning components; GYB (Generate Your Business Ideas), SYB (Start Your Business), IYB (Improve Your Business), EYB (Expand Your Business), DYB (Digitalising Your Business) and GYB (Greening Your Business).

A total of 18 participants participated in the TOT training comprised mainly of representatives from the Kiribati Champer of Commerce, Central Pacific Producer Limited, Angirin Enterprises, Development Bank of Kiribati, Kiribati Institute of Technology, Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources Development, Ministry of Women, Youth, Sport and Cooperatives and Social Affairs, Te Toa Matoa (People with Disabilities), Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and Industry Cooperatives and the Tourism Authority of Kiribati.

TAK staff stress the importance of the training and how it will boost their capacity in this area, allowing them to extend this training to existing and established tourism operators, community-based tourism businesses, as well as to anyone who might have insight into creating and establishing a sustainable tourism business in the future.

Women in Kiritimati Island receive Basic Training in Hospitality

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Women on Kiritimati Island were provided with invaluable Basic Training in Hospitality, a program orchestrated by the Tourism Authority of Kiribati to commemorate International Women’s Day. Held on March 27th, 2023, at the MLPID’s Boardroom at London Village, the session welcomed all women eager to expand their expertise in hospitality services, drawing in a total of 10 enthusiastic participants.

The training workshop was very engaging with interactive group discussions and hands-on exercises covering essential facets of housekeeping and customer service, the training equipped attendees with a comprehensive understanding of creating an inviting and secure environment for guests.

The participants were practically taught techniques ranging from room preparation including cleaning, maintaining, organizing, and preparing rooms for guests. In addition, they were also educated in customer service interaction such as ways to respond to customer inquiries and complaints professionally and courteously, all vital to the industry’s hospitality success.

The training culminated as a resounding success, offering the women a transformative platform to cultivate their talents and thrive within the tourism hospitality sector on Kiritimati Island.

Rebranding of Destination Kiribati

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati has taken a big step this year to work towards building a new brand for Kiribati to change its current existing brand “Kiribati for Travellers.” The current destination brand was created in 2010 by the Kiribati National Tourism Office now TAK. The branding will be a key priority for TAK and it will work towards providing Kiribati with a new refreshed and exciting brand for the destination.

The purpose behind the rebranding is to ultimately give Kiribati a destination brand that resonates with the Kiribati people and their values, and it is aligned to key policies & strategies such as the Kiribati Vision 20 (KV20), the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Policy (KSTP) and TAK’s Strategic Plan.

TAK has already begun its first phase of the branding by conducting a series of consultations with local stakeholders (Local Tourism Operators, Government, and NGOs) which were conducted in the capital South Tarawa, and North Tarawa from the 4th to 11th of March whilst consultations on Kiritimati Island were also conducted from the 11th to 13th of March. The consultations were conducted with the expertise of Mr. Carl Solomon from Destination Marketing Store (DMS) who is working with TAK to develop the Market Analysis to build towards creating a Kiribati Branding Strategy.

This Rebranding project is funded through PSDI (Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative) a regional technical assistance program undertaken in partnership with the Government of Australia, the Government of New Zealand, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Kiribati Tourism Embracing Advanced Digital Tourism

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati, in partnership with Pacific Trade Invest Australia, organized a one-day workshop on Advanced Digital Tourism on March 6th, 2024, held at the YCL Conference Room in Antebuka. The workshop aimed to enhance tourism businesses’ capabilities in online payment and direct booking solutions, empowering them to effectively tap into the international market by leveraging digital tools.

A total of 19 participants from various sectors attended the workshop, including 9 accommodation providers, 3 inbound tour operators, and 2 travel agencies. Among the notable accommodation providers were Nemat Resort, Mid-land Resort, Tabon Te Keekee Ecolodge, and two newly established accommodations, Lucky Future Lodge, and Southview Mini Resort on North Tarawa Island. In South Tarawa, Betio Lodge, the George Hotel, Fema Lodge, and Eniita Lodge participated. The workshop also saw the attendance of 3 inbound tour operators: Donna’s Tour, Molly’s Tour, and Terau Kiribati Travel.

The workshop comprised two sessions. The morning session included a PowerPoint presentation, focusing on various aspects of online booking and payment process. This was followed by one-on-one sessions in the afternoon, aimed at assisting operators interested in developing their own websites. Mr. Craig Smith, a consultant from PTI Australia, conducted one-on-one sessions with 6 accommodation providers and 1 tour operator, providing personalized guidance.

TAK’s assistance in providing relevant imagery and follow-up with operators is critical to the success of each participant’s capabilities in advancing digital tourism.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati is responsible for working with our partners to encourage travelers to come to Kiribati and spend time exploring our country.

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