Stats – Page 3 – Kaongora Newsletter

TAK undertakes Survey on Banaba

February 26, 2021 by Taare Rikiai

The Research & Statistics Division of TAK recently visited the raised island of Banaba to update the tourist map of the island and roll out the new Kiribati Outer Islands Perceptions Survey which was piloted on North Tarawa in January. Banaba is the second island on which the survey has been conducted.

A total of 18 responses were gathered from ages ranging from 22 – 65 years.

The survey results examine how the locals feel about tourism and whether or not they see any benefit from the industry.

Banaba is very unique in that it is the only raised island in Kiribati and was once famous for its phosphate deposits. The rich history is still evident today with the old colonial-style homes, playgrounds, pavements, roads and mining equipment which makes Banaba island stand out from the rest of Kiribati.

The survey results will assist TAK gauge the locals’ readiness to embrace sustainable tourism development.

Tourism Business Inventory Survey

March 1, 2021February 26, 2021 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted Tourism Business Inventory Surveys in Kiritimati and South Tarawa in February.

This is part of TAK’s yearly program to update information from accommodation providers including number of beds available, staff training needs, accommodation services, facilities and contact information to be updated on TAK’s information platforms.

New information gathered will help build a stronger destination portfolio of updated information for tourism operators in Kiribati, particularly now as TAK works towards safely restarting international tourism once borders reopen.

Tourism Business Inventory Surveys will be continuing in Abemama and the rest of the Gilbert group in March and April 2021.

Kiribati Tourism Q4 2020 Tourism Review Report

February 18, 2021February 17, 2021 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati’s (TAK) 2020 Quarter 4 Tourism Review Report is now available in the Resource Centre of TAK’s corporate website.

The report contains domestic travel data and highlights maritime and air travel numbers, quarantine and repatriation information and domestic tourism supply for Kiribati.

The report highlights a 105.7% increase in maritime travel compared to the previous quarter, with Abaiang registering as the most visited island from South Tarawa by boat.

A 58% drop in domestic air travel was recorded in this quarter compared to the previous quarter, and Tabiteuea Meang registered the highest passenger traffic of 1448 visitors, due mainly to its position as a transit hub for the Southern Gilbert Islands.

The report also includes direct employment numbers in the tourism sector in Quarter 4, 2020.

With the absence of international visitors, the only inbound traffic for the quarter came from the 254 repatriated nationals and work permit holders.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati is grateful to the following stakeholders and data providers; Air Kiribati Limited; Ministry of Health & Medical Services’ Ministry of Information, Communications, Transport & Tourism Development; and the local accommodation operators in providing the valuable data.

Click here for report.

TAK RELEASES 3rd Quarter Kiribati Tourism Review Report

December 29, 2020December 23, 2020 by George Kumkee

TAK has released its 2020 3^rd quarter Tourism Review Report.

The report highlights Kiribati’s domestic travel market with statistics on maritime and air passengers travelling within country. Data collected indicated an 87% increase in domestic air travel compared to maritime transport. Maritime travel on the other hand dropped by 27% compared to the previous quarter.

Furthermore, the report also captures the number of local seafarers that have been quarantined at our local quarantine centres on Tarawa. Data gathered show an increase of 17% compared to 2nd quarter figures.

The final part of the report provides a snapshot of our tourism industry employment statistics including a 1% drop in the number of people directly employed by accommodation providers this quarter compared to the previous quarter.

TAK is grateful to Air Kiribati Limited, Ministry of Health & Medical Services, Ministry of Information, Communications, Transport & Tourism Development and the local accommodation providers for agreeing to share their data with us.

A copy of this report can be downloaded from the link below:

https://corporate.visitkiribati.travel/download/kiribati-tourism-industry-3rd-quarter-review-2020/

KIRIBATI 2019 IVS REPORT RELEASED

August 14, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) has released its 2019 International Visitor Survey (IVS) Report.

International Visitors Survey 2019 was conducted over 12 months from March 2019 – March 2020, surveying international visitors departing from Bonriki International Airport in Tarawa and Cassidy International Airport in Kiritimati (Christmas Islands).

The IVS report is an important tool to understand international traveler psychology including motivations, customer spend, satisfaction, and demographics.

This report will be used by the Government of Kiribati (GoK) as a tool to effectively develop tourism policies including the implementation of tourism investment strategies consistent with market demands.

Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) hopes its private sector partners will find this report valuable to understanding their customers and align their products to travellers’ requirements. Likewise, local, and international tourism stakeholders and education institutions can use this IVS report to understand the business of tourism in the Kiribati context to help determine their contribution to sustainable tourism growth.

The IVS projects was funded by the European Union – Kiribati Corporation Office and supported by the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO).

Q1 2020 Tourism Industry Review Report Released

June 30, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Q1 2020 Tourism Industry report has been released in June for the benefit of our stakeholders.

For the first time, Outbound and domestic tourism has been analysed and the basic data is presented in the report.

Furthermore, the report contains international visitor arrival data as well as justifications for the changes in numbers. It also provides analysis by region, namely Tarawa and Kiritimati.

Visitor arrivals for this period were 1409, a drop of 17% compared to the same period last year. Both regions saw drops in their visitor numbers with Kiritimati hardest hit with only 384 arrivals between January and March this year, a massive drop of 55% compared to Q1 2019.

Domestically, a total of 6290 domestic flights were recorded with the most visited island being Abemama.

Outbound travel saw a total of 3049 I-Kiribati travelling overseas and most of this travel was for education purposes.

The report was prepared by the Research & Statistics Division of the TAK.

International Visitors Survey 2019 Report

June 30, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The International Visitors Survey 2019 (IVS 2019) report will be released in July 2020 following the conclusion of the survey in 2020. The IVS 2019 ran for a period of 12 months, having commenced on March 25^th 2019 and conducted by enumerators and TAK staff using iPads supplied by the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO).

The IVS is an internationally recognized survey using two methods, online questionnaires sent to departing visitors or face to face interviews at the departure lounge of the airport. Among the data recorded in this project were; preferred mode of transport; average amount spent on accommodation and meals; purpose of visit; satisfaction with facilities and services used or experienced while in Kiribati; tourist activities participated in; demographics; whether or not they would recommend Kiribati to friends and family and many others.

The survey managed to capture a total of 1405 responses with 1155 from Tarawa and 250 from Kiritimati.

Furthermore, the IVS 2019 was developed in partnership with the SPTO and funded by the European Union – Kiribati Cooperation. The SPTO also provided the iPads on which the questionnaires were loaded and also provided the training on the use of the iPads.

The data is being analysed in-house by the TAK Research & Statistics division.

The Report should provide insightful details into where Kiribati lies in terms of tourist satisfaction, comfort and safety and allow policy makers, the private sector and the communities to work together to fill the gaps identified in the survey for the benefit of both the locals and our visitors.

KIRIBATI TOURISM REVIEW 2019 RELEASED

May 28, 2020 by Sarah Teetu Reymond

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) has released its first ever Tourism Sector Review for the year 2019 based on data collected by the Research and Statistics Division.

The report provides analysis on the international visitor figures and markets; purpose of visit, average length of stay; and also looks at yacht and cruise visitors. A look into a supply side provides figures on accommodations, employment, and inventory.

Key highlights of this report include:

14% year on year (YOY) growth in international visitor arrivals in 2019 (business & leisure)
Increase in inbound flights into Kiribati
11% increase in new beds (inventory)
Up to 450 direct employment created in this sector

TAK will continue with this annual review released every April.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Resource Centre of the TAK’s corporate website.

TOURISM INCLUDED IN 2020 CENSUS

May 28, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

26^th May 2020: For the first time, the population of Kiribati will be asked for their views on tourism through the national census to be carried out later this year. This was made possible through the support of the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The tourism component of the 2020 Census questionnaire is aimed at obtaining people’s perception on tourism and their understanding on the current and possible benefits of tourism in their respective households and community.

The Research and Statistics division of TAK used the NSO 2020 Census Workshop at Antebuka on 11 May 2020 to update the population census enumerators with the tourism section of the survey and attended to questions raised by the enumerators.

TAK hopes that the census responses will provide greater insight into the communities’ perceptions of tourism. Such information will allow TAK to target awareness, training, and development projects to those communities that require them, particularly where greater understanding of tourism is minimal.

The 2020 National Census will commence on 7^th November 2020.

TAK Participates in the Integrated Vulnerability Assessment of Butaritari Island

March 30, 2020 by Taare Rikiai

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) was part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) funded Integrated Vulnerability Assessment (IVA) in Butaritari from 22-29 March 2020. The team visited all the villages to discuss and assess the vulnerability issues experienced by people and the main objective of the survey was to identify climate change challenges experienced by the local people of Butaritari.

The IVA team consisted of officers from different sectors of government including the Fisheries Division, the Agricultural Division, the Tourism Authority, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Environment and Conservation Division, Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperation and the Kiribati Island Local Government Association (KILGA).

The team complete the IVA survey and also conducted their individual sector activities which will be incorporated into the final report of the IVA of Butaritari.

TAK conducted the Tourism Business Inventory Survey (TBIS) at the four accommodations collecting data and information on the services and facilities provided by these properties. The accommodations were The Santa Theresa Guesthouse (at the Vatican), the Island Council Guesthouse, Nei Tebon Guesthouse and the Sunset Lodge.

The TBIS was followed by the GPS mapping and plotting of these properties and other tourism-related sites (eg, shrines, historical monuments, churches, clinics). This will allow for the development of a detailed map which will serve as a travel guide to both locals and international visitors.

Buatritari island is very fertile and has an abundant fruits (especially bananas), vegetables and crops which are difficult to grow on other islands. Its people have a unique accent which is easily recognizable by all locals and most of the Butaritari guesthouses are made of traditional material with a few made of concrete.

The IVA concluded with a council meeting where the mayor, Te Kinati (Unimwaane or elderly men), clerk, island councilors and the IVA team discussed the outcomes of the assessment. TAK also had the opportunity to provide updates and recommendations on the preparations for the cruise ship arrival scheduled for the 05 November at Notururu islet previously known as Bikaati islet.

Tourism Authority Kiribati