Meeting & Conference

As the 2nd South Pacific Cruise Forum welcomed delegates from the cruise industry leaders and stakeholders, Petero Manufolau, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Authority of Kiribati and Pacific Tourism Organisation Chairman, highlighted the significance of this event.

He recalled how the South Pacific Cruise Alliance (SPCA) had come full circle since hosting its inaugural Forum in 2015, co-hosted by the French Polynesian Government and the member Tahiti Cruise Club.

Mr. Manufolau emphasized the progress made by SPCA during its 13 years of operation in promoting the South Pacific region and its captivating ports of call. He acknowledged that in 2022, SPTO member countries received nearly 140,000 cruise ship passengers. However, this number was considerably lower than the over one million visitors recorded in 2018, primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, he pointed out the positive aspect that the 140,000 passengers in 2022 represented a remarkable 140 percent increase from the previous year when there were none. Mr. Manufolau also highlighted the potential of small ships and expedition cruising to facilitate access to remote islands and challenging-to-reach locations, fostering sustainable tourism investment.

“It’s a testament to our resilience and potential for growth. And for the next two days, we will engage in candid discussions about the state of the Pacific cruise market and listen to the insights of key cruise line executives regarding their outlook and requirements to secure more port visits to our islands,” says Mr Manufolau.

In addition, Mr. Manufolau emphasized that, according to the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework of SPTO, the 2030 vision is clearly defined:

“We envision a future where tourism empowers us, fostering resilience, prosperity, and inclusivity. It enhances the well-being of our communities while safeguarding, revitalizing, and celebrating our cultures, islands, and ocean ecosystems,” Mr. Manufolau highlighted.

He further pointed out that the cruise ship industry aligns perfectly with this vision, given its capacity to reach and impact significant tourist hubs and remote, isolated communities, thereby extending economic benefits to grassroots communities. He encouraged collaborative efforts to make sustainable cruising in the Blue Pacific a reality.

Moreover, Mr. Manufolau expressed enthusiasm for the latest environmentally friendly technological advancements in power propulsion and waste management systems.
He noted, “Climate change poses the most significant threat to the livelihoods, security, and well-being of the people and islands in the Pacific.”

He emphasized that the SPTO Strategic Plan 2020-2024 focuses on cruising and yachting sectors with relevant associations, industry bodies, and companies, fostering collaboration with partners to support members in developing necessary facilities, shore operations, policies, and procedures, and conducting community consultations.

Mr Manufolau mentioned that in the days ahead, the primary emphasis would be on enhancing connections among government, business, and civil society and further amplifying the economic advantages of the cruise industry. The collective goal is to chart a course toward a sustainable and thriving future in the Blue Pacific.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) hosted a one-day stakeholder consultation workshop for the development of the organisation’s 2023 – 2025 Strategic Plan on Thursday 13 April 2023 at the Marine Training Centre (MTC) in Betio, South Tarawa.

Attended by representatives from Government, State Owned Enterprises (SOE), Tourism Operators and Non-Government Organisations (NGO), the workshop presented TAK the opportunity to share its new set of draft strategic priorities with its stakeholder partners.

The workshop also allowed for valuable input from stakeholders on how TAK can better serve the industry and to be better equipped to support the Government of Kiribati’s KV20 aspirations for increased economic contribution through tourism.

Participants were also introduced to the first draft of the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Indicators; a set of tools that will support TAK to measure the destination’s sustainable tourism goals.

TAK’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan development is supported through technical support from the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI). This project is scheduled to be completed with the strategic plan launch in July 2023.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) participated in a China Trade & Tourism Mission led by the Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives (MTCIC), Honourable Bootii Nauan from 19 – 27 March 2023.

With the support of the Embassy of China in Tarawa, TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau accompanied the high-level trade delegation on bilateral discussions and visits to key tourism sites in Hainan and Guangdong Provinces.

A key highlight of the mission was the visit to China’s premier beach destination, Sanya, located on the southern tip on Hainan Island in the South China Sea.

The government in Sanya, Hainan province, has laid out 117 key projects to turn the city into a national leading tourist destination with great international influence, and to promote the high-quality development of local and sustainable tourism.

Through this engagement, the delegation were introduced to concepts of marine, agriculture and culture-based tourism for tropical small island destinations where community remains an integral part of sustainable tourism development.

TAK is in the process of developing Kiribati’s sustainable tourism indicators and its sustainable tourism action plan and experiences from this mission have helped highlight new areas of focus for the destination.

China represents an opportunity for organised group travel to Kiribati. With resumption of travel from mainland China, TAK, through its Memorandum of Understanding with the China Tourism Academy (CTA), will soon begin delivering its China Market Ready programme and capacity development initiatives for local tourism operators.

The Government of Kiribati (GoK) through the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development (MFMRD) hosted the Forum Fisheries Agency’s Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) meeting in Tarawa from 20 – 27 August 2022.

This was the first international meeting hosted in the country following Kiribati border re-opening on 01 August 2022. The event welcomed delegates and representatives from 17 Pacific member countries including Australia and New Zealand.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) recognises the FFC meeting as Kiribati’s initial introduction to the new normal in international post COVID-19 meetings and conferences market. Given the success of the event, TAK envisages that more regional and international meetings can be hosted in Kiribati, now that international travel is returning to normalcy.

TAK was also part of the organizing committee for this high-level meeting and collaborated with local inbound operator Kiribati Holidays for delegate activities.

The event has also been a great opportunity for local accommodation providers to boost their revenue through rooms revenue, food & beverage services and other activities.

 The Kiritimati WASH Policy development workshop on 16 and 17 August 2022 provided the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) officers in Kiritimati an excellent opportunity to better understand the importance of water and sanitation in tourism.

The workshop discussed opportunities to improve access to water and sanitation services on the island. TAK views the improvement in hygiene practices as essential to helping tourism businesses achieve 100% compliance to COVID-19 health and safety protocols once the island’s border reopens.

TAK’s participation in the review and drafting of the WASH Action Plan and Budget at the workshop also provided the tourism officers a better understanding of how it can assist tourism business operators implement key recommendations of the WASH policy once finalised.

It is envisaged that the Kiritimati WASH policy will support tourism in Kiritimati Island as it will encourage the water conservation system for all tourism business operators.

The Kiritimati WASH policy will aim to provide a framework that will improve access to water and sanitation services and to change hygienic practices in Kiritimati.

The workshop was hosted by the Kiritimati Urban Council, facilitated by the Kiribati Local Government Association (KILGA) and is funded by Wash project in Kiritimati, with financial assistance from the European Union and New Zealand government.

Tourism remains a priority for the Government of Kiribati. This was revealed at the Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD) Ministry Strategic Plan(MSP) retreat at the Nemat Lodge in Buariki, North Tarawa on Saturday 30 January 2021.

The retreat was organized by the MICTTD Planning and Research Division and included all Heads of Departments in the ministry and CEO’s and senior managers of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) under the ministry.

In opening the retreat, Minister for MICTTD, Honourable Tekeeua Tarati acknowledged the enormous task that his ministry has in working towards fulfilling the ambitions of the Kiribati 20-Year Vision (KV20).

One key driver of the economic growth envisioned by the Government of Kiribati is tourism and this is reflected in the new Motinnano (Manifesto) which has set a range of tourism development activities that the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) is required to implement.

Objectives in the new Motinnano for tourism include the development of sustainable ecotourism, focusing on niche products, the establishment of tourism zones in the Line and Gilbert Islands, development of Kanton in the Phoenix islands and selected islands in the Line and Gilbert group for high end tourism development, and the development of Tabuaeran (Fanning island) as a world class surfing destination.

TAK presented its 4-year implementation plan at the MSP meeting in Buariki and has commenced the structured roll out of its plans.