Tourism Authority Kiribati

Kaongora Newsletter

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Kiribati School Tourism Awareness Program

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Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) commenced its Primary Schools Tourism Awareness program on South Tarawa and Betio from 19 April 2021. This program will run through to 05 May and targets Year 6 students.

The goal of the program is to provide students with an understanding of tourism, its benefits on the economy and community and the potential careers opportunities that exist in the industry.

Whilst tourism is not part of the year 6 syllabus, TAK’s School Tourism Awareness program helps enrich and enhance children’s understanding of tourism and provides them with valuable information on the potential it has to contribute to development in Kiribati.

The program also included the distribution of Tourism Careers posters.

Bikenibeu West Primary School teacher Mrs Kaetieti Iotua commented that such a program is important for students at this level to better their understanding on tourism and its potential. She added the posters will be put up on the wall to remind children of the many opportunities that exist in the tourism industry.

TAK is grateful to the Ministry of Education (MoE) for endorsing this program and looks forward reaching out to all primary schools across the country.

 

 

UNDP Tourism Sector Micro-credentials a Success

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The UNDP Micro-credentials for the Tourism Sector project for Kiribati has been deemed a success by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), the organisation tasked to implement the project across the Pacific.

Two online courses, Digital Literacy Essentials, and Communication Technologies for Business Success were included in this project and initially targeted 40 participants. Due to overwhelming interest from across Kiribati, the project increased availability to 100 participants, and 65 participants successfully complete the courses.

APTC Innovations Team Specialist Advisor, Susan Bateup stated “whilst the project concluded on 31 Match 2020, the Micro-credentials will continue to be available for anyone from Kiribati to Register online via the APTC website – https://aptc.edu.au/courses/micro-credentials –  and will be supported by the MyVillage eLearning support team”.

The APTC also advised that it is considering additional Micro-credentials to be added to its current collection of Micro-credential short courses and information on this will be shared once available.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati acknowledged the tremendous support extended to the Kiribati tourism industry by the APTC to assist in building capacity during a challenging time and looks forward to opportunities for tourism training support in the future.

 

 

TAK visits Australia High Commissioner

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) carried out its first official visit to the new Australia High Commissioner to Kiribati, His Excellency Mr. David Yardley on Tuesday, 20 April 2021.

Led by TAK CEO, Petero Manufolau, TAK took the opportunity to brief High Commissioner Yardley on the organization and its work as guided by the TAK Strategic Plan and its Kiribati National Tourism Development Framework 2020 – 2022.

Areas discussed included TAK’s work on the Kiribati Sustainable Tourism Policy framework, tourism investment opportunities, training and capacity building and the Kiribati Tourism Reset program including the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocols for the New Normal.

As a key source market for business and leisure & adventure travel to Kiribati, TAK also expressed that Australian destinations like Far North Queensland are the ideal catalyst for sustainable tourism which Kiribati can benchmark against.

In concluding their visit, TAK acknowledged with appreciation Australia’s support for programs that will inherently benefit Kiribati tourism in the long term such as their support local training institutions, the labour mobility program and the Australia Volunteers International (AVI) network.

 

 

 

Online Survey Design Workshop for TAK

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The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) conducted the first of a series of capacity building workshops on online surveys for the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) on Wednesday 07 April 2021. The workshop follows the inclusion of Kiribati in phase two of the New Zealand MFAT- funded Pacific Tourism Data Initiative (PTDI).  

The goal of the PTDI is to increase evidence-based tourism decision making in the Pacific with a view to strengthening sustainable economic development. 

The workshop was conducted via zoom by Professor Simon Milne,  Director at the NZTRI. It focused on the International Visitors Survey (IVS) and how it can be implemented as an online survey. The workshop participants were shown examples from other Pacific island surveys and best practices in the region. 

The workshop was attended by TAK officers on Tarawa and Kiritimati and they were joined by the Research & Planning Unit team of the Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD).

Tourism Surveys on Abemama

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted its Tourism Business Inventory Survey (TBIS), Outer Island Perception Survey (OIPS) and an update of the tourism map for the island of Abemama earlier in March 2021.

TAK conducted the TBIS to update the accommodations and tourism operators’ database.  Data collected included operators’ services and facilities, location, contact details, climate change impact on their operations and waste management challenges.

The OIPS on the other hand was a means for the TAK to determine locals’ perceptions on tourism, in particular its environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts.

The OIPS was conducted in the villages of Kabangaki, Tebwanga, Bangotan te Kabwaia, Kariatebike, Tabontebike, Reina, Baretoa, Tekatirirake, Tanimainiku and Tabiang.

The tourism map of Abemama was updated using GPS to plot locations of new or previously unmapped tourism sites. Among the new sites were historical sites and idols in Kenna, part of Kabangaki village at the southern end of the island and on Biike islet. The updated map will allow visitors to locate accommodations and tourism sites on the island.

The outcomes of the surveys and mapping on Abemama will be used by TAK to assist in planning activities and programs for the development of Tourism on the island and will be shared with relevant stakeholders. Once finalised, a full report will be available in the Resource Centre on the TAK corporate website.

The surveys will also be carried out in other islands throughout 2021.

This trip was supported by LDCF-1 project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented under the Environment and Conservation division with the support of the United Nations Development Programme.

 

New Bungalows in Abemama

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New Bungalows in Abemama

Abemama Island’s position as an ideal tourism destination has been boosted with opening of new island bungalows at Binoinano village in Tabontebike.  Run by the Santo Antonio Catholic Parish, this new establishment features 6 overwater bungalows (buia), a communal kitchen, traditional resting area, and a convenience store.

The bungalows have been beautifully designed and built using local materials contributed by church groups (makoro) from each village. Construction took up to 3 months and the bungalows can accommodate up to 20 guests.

Head Catechist of Santo Antonio Parish shared that the official opening celebration of the bungalows was low key as the church is currently observing the season of lent.

Head Catechist added that “this opening marks the first part of the project.  There are plans to extend further out onto the lagoon to build more bungalows this year and accommodate more visitors.

The Parish is keen to work with the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) to develop accommodation packages, build capacity for its employees and market and promote the destination.  TAK congratulates the Santo Antonio Catholic Parish on their community tourism initiative and looks forward to working with them to grow tourism to Abemama.

 

South Tarawa Marketing Consultation

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted its first marketing consultation with South Tarawa Operators on Thursday 11 March 2021.

The consultation is part of the TAK’s Recovery Marketing Plan development program and was also an opportunity to gather updated product information and discuss issues that are important to operators during these challenging times.

Feedback received from the consultation included the positive impact the Mauri Experience campaign has had in stimulating demand in the local market. Operators acknowledged that it (campaign) continues to create awareness on their special offers and generate bookings to their properties.

Through this consultation, TAK has also identified some immediate training and marketing needs for select operators and actions are being taken to address them.

The consultations also gave TAK the opportunity to discuss the training component for the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocols for the New Normal and its reset program. This will play an integral part in preparing the tourism industry for when the Government of Kiribati approves border reopening.

TAK will continue its marketing consultations in Kiritimati and the outer islands before developing and implementing its Recovery Marketing Plan.

TAK Staff completes JICA Marketing training

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Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) Senior Marketing and Promotion Officer, Ms Sarah Teetu, has completed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tourism Promotion and Marketing online virtual training course under the JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) for the JFY2020. The virtual training was held from 15 – 26 February 2021.

The course offered practical insights and effective steps that can be adopted in the Kiribati context especially on its domestic market and reset marketing strategy.

Ms Teetu stated that “the training has also assisted me in understanding practical information on proposed mitigation strategies against covid-19 crisis and recovery planning”. She added that her the training will assist her as she leads the development of TAK’s digital marketing strategy and destination marketing plan.

Participants to the course included tourism employees from the Pacific, South East Asia and Latin American.

The Tourism Promotion and Marketing course is one of the many that JICA offers Kiribati annually and TAK is indebted to them for their commitment to building tourism management capacity for TAK.

Kiribati extends border closure

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The Government of Kiribati has officially declared a further extension of its border closure in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This new extension will remain effective until the end of June 2021 when another review is expected to take place for further determination of Kiribati’s border settings.

During this extension period, special approvals can be obtained for humanitarian flights to transport essential equipment, medical supplies and for the conduct of medevac operations.

Government’s Repatriation Taskforce that oversees the repatriation of Kiribati nationals abroad will continue to plan and facilitate repatriation exercises to bring back all I-Kiribati stranded. The Taskforce is also coordinating with relevant Ministries to mobilize Kiribati students to commence their studies at tertiary level in Fiji alongside key workers and other members of the travelling public.

Standard Operational Procedures that seek to safeguard the public from the potential entry and transmission of COVID-19 will remain in force for all incoming travellers including a mandatory quarantine of 14 days at the Government-designated facility on South Tarawa. This has proven helpful to the Government’s effort to maintain Kiribati’s COVID-19 free status.

The provision of medical supplies and cargoes will also continue under the established COVID-19 safety procedures and protocols to ensure necessary support is provided to strengthen the national health system and to address people’s needs.

The Government acknowledges the dedicated service of all frontline workers and all who are involved in the success of repatriations to date and continues to appeal to the general public and Kiribati’s development partners for their continued cooperation, support and understanding to ensure the necessary arrangements are strictly followed so that risks are managed and the health safety of all is not compromised.

Seeking Tourism Opportunities for Banaba

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) conducted an exploratory mission to the island of Banaba on 21 and 22 February 2021 to evaluate tourism opportunities for the island. The mission was conducted by CEO, Petero Manufolau and Senior Research and Statistics Officer, Nemani Tebana.

Better known as a former phosphate mining island until 1979, Banaba is Kiribati’s westernmost island with a total land area of 6.0 km2 and its highest point is also the highest point in Kiribati at 81 metres.

The mission included guided tour to Te Bangabanga, the Sacred Cave of Banaba, and visits to other historical sites on the island including the Sir Albert. F. Ellis monument, WWll Japanese slaughtering area, old hospital, islands football and cricket field and the remains of colonial homes that once dominated the islands real estate.

The site visits was followed by meeting with Banaba MP Tibanga Taratai and the Rabi Council of Leaders (RCL) Island Manager Malosi Kapati to discuss opportunities for tourism development on the island. It was agreed that TAK will work with the Island Council and the RCL to develop a working group that will seek our opportunities for tourism to Banaba.

TAK will develop the Terms of Reference for the working group and will be open to contributions from stakeholders on how tourism can help create economic opportunities for the island.