Press Releases

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.

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die” John 11: 25-26

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) family in the past week mourned the loss of a valuable member of the organisation and Senior Tourism Officer – Marketing, Promotions & Communications, Nei Sarah Botaake Teetu.

Sarah took up her appointment with TAK when the organisation was established on 10 June 2019, a role that she was passionate about as she considered the opportunity to promote Kiribati internationally a privilege.

Against the challenges she faced in recent years due to her health, Sarah worked tirelessly to promote Kiribati as best she could. She is described by her colleagues as a competitive individual but would never give up the opportunity to share her knowledge with her coworkers.

She was a kind and compassionate person who always had a smile on her face and always willing to help others. Her witty sense of humour also never went unnoticed in the workplace as it was always accompanied by her contagious laughter. At same time, Sarah was never one to hold back as she would never pass an opportunity to speak her mind on work matters that she was passionate about.
Prior to taking leave to care for her health, Sarah represented Kiribati at the South Pacific Tourism Exchange in Christchurch New Zealand in May 2023 where she keenly shared her home Kiribati to a global audience and effectively connected us with tour operators from around the world.

Simply put, Sarah was a kind and compassionate person who always had a smile on her face and was always willing to help others. To the TAK family, she represented the essence of what it means to be resilient. She was a true asset to the organisation and her company, friendship and contributions will be missed by all who knew her.

The TAK offices in Kiritimati and Tarawa each held commemoration services to remember the life of our colleague Nei Sarah and we were blessed to have been joined by her husband Mr. Rennie Reymond and daughter Nei Anaa in Tarawa.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time and may Sarah’s Beautiful Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.

Tekeraoi am borau.

Goal 2 of the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework recognises that tourism must preserve cultural and historical heritage. This commitment reflects the Kiribati tourism sector’s obligation to guaranteeing authentic visitor experiences. It also an acknowledgement of the value travellers place on Kiribati’s unique culture and history as captured in the 2019 Kiribati International Visitor Survey (IVS).

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) commends the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) through its Culture & Museum Division (CMD) to preserve, protect and promote Kiribati’s culture and heritage.

In its role as the advocate for Kiribati cultural preservation, the CMD recently conducted a 1-week training program for 25 youths in South Tarawa. Delivered by community cultural trainers at the CMD Maneaba, the program included traditional food preservation, local arts and craft, toddy cutting and Bwabwai farm cultivation.

TAK is encouraged that the sharing of traditional skills and knowledge is reinforced at a community youth level and when practiced, will offer international visitors an experience that is unique to Kiribati alone.

The preservation and showcasing of Kiribati’s cultures and traditions through tourism will remain a priority for TAK and work is currently underway to establish it as a sustainable tourism indicator for the destination.

The Training and Development Unit within the Tourism Authority of Kiribati conducted a two days visit to all tourism business properties in South Tarawa to carry out the training need assessment for all employees in the tourism industry that was held on the 25^th to 26^th of January 2023.

The main purpose of this visit is to discuss and share the training needs assessment form that TAK already come up with and to take all of their specific needs so that TAK can have them and share them with national institutions for their continued assistance and support.

Six of seven tourist accommodations were part of this visit and these are The George Hotel, Betio Lodge, Fema Lodge, Utirerei Hotel, Eniita Lodge, and Tad’s Guest Homestay. Mary’s motel is the only one that has not yet been visited due to some inconvenience caused regard to the schedule raised by the office.

This is the first time that TAK roll out this activity to sit with hotel employees face to face and to take note of their needs with the hope of extending this to all tourism operators in the outer island.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) through its Research and Statistics Division has conducted its survey known as the Tourism Business Inventory Survey (TBIS) from 25^th to 26^th  January 2023 in South Tarawa.

The survey is also part of TAK’s annual work plan to update the accommodation database to ensure data and information that are collected are up to date, which is the overall main purpose of the visit. The collected data and information include the number of rooms and beds, the number of employees, and contact information to name a few.

The survey results will help determine the training needs of the surveyed properties, it will also help accommodation providers to identify areas that need improvements in terms of marketing and product development needs.

The 7 surveyed properties were The George Hotel, Betio Lodge, Marys’ Motel, Fema Lodge, Utirerei Hotel, Eniita Lodge, and Tads Guesthouse.

The next TBIS will be conducted in North Tarawa in February.

The Prime Minister of Fiji, Honourable Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, and his delegation visited Kiribati on Friday, the 20^th of January 2023.   The high-level delegation received the Minister for Education, Hon Alex Teabo, his wife, several Government dignitaries, and the Kiribati Police Service Brass Band which played the Fiji National Anthem. Upon arrival at the Bonriki International Airport, the Honorable Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka inspected the Guard of Honor.

The delegation visited the Eita maneaba, Tokanuean Auriaria IV where they were accorded a traditional Kiribati welcome.   The Prime Minister also paid a courtesy call to Kiribati’s Head of State and President, H.E Taneti Maamau where the two leaders discussed areas of mutual interest for both countries.  His Excellency Taneti Maamau hosted a welcome function and was joined by his Cabinet Ministers at the Office of the Beretitenti in honor of the Prime Minister and his delegation.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Fiji and Kiribati and discussed the restoration of unity in the Blue Pacific family.

At the meeting, both Leaders acknowledged the strong kinship shared by Fiji and Kiribati, which has been founded on strong cultural identity, mutual respect, and friendship.  The two leaders reaffirmed the need to collectively work in unity and promote regional cooperation as highlighted in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1979, Fiji and Kiribati have enjoyed close friendly relations as members of the Blue Pacific family.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati recognizes the visit as a great opportunity for Kiribati to elevate its tourism development and marketing initiatives through collaboration.  Fiji is a leading Pacific tourism destination and presents opportunities for capacity-building and marketing partnerships for Kiribati.