Meeting & Conference – Page 3 – Kaongora Newsletter

Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Covid Protocol Workshop

October 15, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in partnership with the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) conducted the first consultation workshop for the development of the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocol for the New Normal on Friday 09 October 2020 at the Utirerei Motel.

Funded through the US Embassy of Fiji’s Economic Recovery Project Grant to KCCI, the consultation workshop is part of a wider Reset Strategy which aims to prepare Kiribati for the new normal in tourism.

The consultation workshop brought together representatives from relevant government organisations, experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Kiribati Red Cross Society and tourism business operators from across Tarawa.

A key outcome of the consultation workshop was the compilation of suggested Covid-19 travel safety protocols for accommodation, transport, restaurant, and bar service providers. These suggested protocols will be used to develop the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocol for the New Normal.

TAK and KCCI will undertake a similar consultation workshop in Kiritimati, following which the protocol document will be finalised and tourism operator training conducted before the end of 2020.

TAK in Kiritimati Solid Waste management committee

September 30, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Kiritimati Solid Waste management committee which includes TAK conducted their meeting at Wildlife & Conservation Unit office on the 03 September 2020 was chaired by the Senior Environment inspector, Mr Ata Binoka.

The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss proposed work plans and activities for solid waste management. Chair Binoka stated that the Budget for the cleaning campaign program was now ready and stakeholders are requested to prepare their programs and budget related to Solid Waste Management to be compiled and sent to the Solid Waste management project office.

However, TAK’s programs and activities will focus on tourism awareness programs related to solid waste management and sustainable tourism development.

Kiribati to participate in virtual PATA Travel Mart

August 27, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati will participate in the first virtual PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2020, from 23 – 27 September 2020.

The Virtual PATA Travel Mart is a business to business travel contracting and virtual networking event that both mirrors and enhances the features of the long-standing PTM, which boasts over four decades of experience in connecting qualified international buyers and sellers from all of Asia and the Pacific region through pre-matched business appointments.

The event will offer two full business days with a possibility of up to 50 pre-matched appointments across all time zones from 24-25 September… There will also be two trade visitor days on September 26-27. This virtual travel mart is also an opportunity for TAK to gain deeper insights on travel recovery through high-quality forums and expand its networks through interactive networking breaks.

Besides having an enhanced booth, Kiribati was also have the opportunity to make a 15-minute pre-recorded video presentation for the presentation hall on the Virtual PTM platform.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati is excited about the opportunity to connect with International travel trade professionals at PTM2020and gauge a better understanding of new travel requirements and expectations during this global pandemic.

KIRIBATI on PATA eLearning platform

August 27, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

Travel agents worldwide will now be able to learn about Kiribati through the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) eLearning platform.

The PATA eLearning platform is for travel agents, tourism professionals, and destination marketers who want to refresh their knowledge about a travel destination.

The Kiribati training module is categorized into 5 modules and these include destination highlights, attractions and activities, culture, customs and events, accommodation, shopping and dining and fast facts.

TAK believes that this is a great opportunity for Kiribati to be to be introduced to travel professionals who are taking this downtime in international travel to learn about new destinations. Once training is completed, participants will be certified as Kiribati specialist agents.

The Kiribati training module can be accessed on www.pataelearning.com and will be available until March 2021.

TAK participates in GEF7 project funding meeting

July 29, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) participated in a project funding brief on Tuesday 28 July at the Office of the President (OB) in Bairiki for the Global Environment Facility’s GEF7 set to be implemented from 2023- 2027.

The meeting was coordinated by the Environment Conservation Division (ECD) of the Ministry of Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD) and was chaired by the OB Deputy Secretary.

GEF7 calls for the formulation of proposed projects ideas that address ‘Kiribati Protected Areas for Food Security, Island Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ from Ministries and government departments that are part of the Kiribati National Experts Group (KNEG)and have an interest in these 3 thematic areas.

GEF7 recognises the potential for of ecotourism in atoll islands and TAK will use this opportunity to seek support for development in agritourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism in island communities of Kiribati.

TAK participates in Airport Public Health Safety Measures meeting

July 29, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) joined the Airport Kiribati Authority in its first round of stakeholder’s consultations to discuss the Airports Council International’s (ACI) guidance on public health safety measures for Bonriki International Airport.

The guidance provided by ACI covers recommended measures for the appropriate handling of domestic and international flights during the Covid-19 pandemic. These measures focus on the health and welfare of travelers, staffs and the public with the aim to alleviate opportunities for the spread of Covid-19.

Procedures discussed included disembarking and arrival, health and security screening, baggage claim, customs and quarantine clearance and domestic transfer points.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Immigration Department, Customs and Quarantine, private sector operators and Air Kiribati.

TAK recognizes important need for Kiribati to maintain its Covid-19 free destination status and will continue to actively engage in programs developed to promote health security and safety.

PIPA TOURISM INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

May 31, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The PIPA Tourism Advisory subcommittee (PTASC)met in 21 May to review the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Integrated Sustainable Tourism Development in Kanton and other potential areas in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA).

Chaired by PIPA Implementation Office (PIO), PTASC is made up of stakeholder representatives from Tourism, Lands, Culture, and the Commerce Ministry.

Once finalised, the RFP will be an invitation to potential investors to consider sustainable tourism development in PIPA. The RFP is based on Kanton, Orona and Nikumaroro, the island believed to be final resting place of aviator Amelia Earhart.

The next meeting to finalize the draft Request Proposal Document is scheduled to the 2^nd week of June 2020.

TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE COASTAL FISHERIES

May 28, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) attended the Commonwealth Blue Charter National Workshop on Sustainable Coastal Fisheries Action Group from on 22 and 23 May 2020 at Teuanete Maneaba in Taborio.

The Blue Charter is an initiative from the Commonwealth on sustainable management and development of the marine resources. It has 10 action groups which will address issues and developments on different areas of the ocean.

Kiribati initiated to champion the 10th action group called Sustainable Coastal Fisheries which will be led by the Coastal Fisheries Division under the Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resource Development (MFMRD).

Among key stakeholders, TAK delivered a presentation sharing the linkages between tourism and the sustainable coastal fisheries and highlighted how tourism can contribute to achieving sustainable coastal fisheries. TAK also raised the notion of possible areas of collaboration between stakeholders and underlined issues that may hinder the successful development of sustainable coastal fisheries and the development of marine eco-tourism.

TAK looks forward to its continued participation and contribution to Sustainable Coastal Fisheries Action Group. END

First Virtual Tourism Digital Workshop for Kiribati

April 29, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in partnership with the Pacific Trade and Invest (PTI) Australia and World Hotel Link (WHL) hosted the country’s first ever Virtual Digital Tourism Workshop on the 28 April 2020. The half day webinar was attended by tourism operators from Tarawa, Abaiang and Kiritimati and was hosted at the Vodafone boardroom in Bairiki.

The webinar is part of the TAK’s capacity building initiative for industry partners and stakeholders during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the webinar was to offer training on effective website management and how such a tool can be better used to improve sales and profitability. Topics of this online session included the importance of knowing the online buying cycle, critical functionality/features of a website to boost sales and revenue and booking engine management.

Attendees appreciated the relevance of the webinar and acknowledged that it will add value to their respective organisations.

Through the webinar, PTI also reconfirmed its COVID-19 digital marketing relief package which includes the complimentary development of new business websites for tourism operators currently without one and a discounted monthly website maintenance fees for operators whose websites were developed by WHL.

TAK will roll out other capacity building programs to help upskill industry partners during this current global pandemic.

TAK Participates in KDP SOE Consultation Workshop

March 12, 2020 by George Kumkee

11 March 2020

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) participated in a 2 days Kiribati Development Plan (KDP) 2020-2023 State Owned Entities (SOE) consultation workshop that was organized by the National Economic Planning Office of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on 10 – 11 March 2020.

TAK used the workshop to present its mandate and discussed the key challenges it faces and opportunities that the Organisation can use to deliver its services efficiently.

The workshop also highlighted the need for SOEs to collaborate and TAK has taken the lead to engage in further discussions with selected SOEs whose services can help improve productivity for Tourism SMEs and operators.

In his presentation, TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau emphasized value of collaboration across State Owned Entities and as well as government sectors, particularly in areas where cross overs and similar goals can be identified.

The workshop concluded with SOE sector discussions to highlight common challenges and opportunities that exist in different sectors and identify ways to mitigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Tourism Authority Kiribati