Tourism Authority Kiribati

Kaongora Newsletter

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New Resort opens in Buariki, North Tarawa

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) is delighted to announce the opening of the NEMAT Resort in BUARIKI, North Tarawa from 01 December 2020.

Management says that the resort is ideal for getaways, gatherings & parties, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

Situated on a stretch of brilliant white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise lagoon, the property features both contemporary & locally designed houses/huts and buias with two Maneaba. For group travel, the resort can accommodate a maximum of 70 guests.

Services include a bar, café, and 24 hours restaurant services whilst the traditional beach umbrella and beach lounges offer the ideal spot for a quiet retreat. Complimentary kayaks, guitars and ukuleles are also available onsite and the beach volleyball court is perfect for team building activities.

Transportation including waauowa & speedboat is also available for pickups from and drop offs to South Tarawa. Bookings can be made by telephone on 73041868 or via email at nematkiribati@gmail.com

TAK Celebrates World Food Day

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) participated in World Food Day Celebration on Nonouti Island on 04 – 18 November 2020. This program was organized by LDCF project in collaboration with its key stakeholders.

World Food Day is celebrated annually and this year, LDCF team commemorated it through community consultation and awareness, with its main purpose of encouraging all locals to conserve, preserve and sustain the use of their land and marine resources, against the impact of climate change.

Whilst in Nonouti, TAK  conducted school awareness program to all primary schools, and a Tourism Business Inventory Survey at the Nonouti Island Council Guest House.

This program was supported by the Kiribati 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.

Abemama Island and Food Security

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 The Tourism Authority of Kiribati team had visited Abemama from the 1st to the 16th of November 2020 for a follow-up on development of eco-tourism products through assisting local communities on ways to enhance food security in the context of global climate change using the tourism sector.

The team conducted consultations with active communities and villages on existing and new eco-tourism products for industry partnership development. Agri-domestic skills supporting traditional culinary practices and experiences have incentivise communities with initiatives within the tourism industry at communities based levels.

Abatiku islet had been declared and recognized as a Marine Protected Area to conserve and safeguard marine resources for the welfare and wellbeing of its inhabitants. Reina and Baretoa villages and other factories Development have passed the trial of partnership in outsourcing skills and knowledge to future visitors and tourists on the preservation of food against the impacts of climate change. An official from Tourism, Ms Kiarake Karuaki stated how these activities have motivated communities in Abemama to be prepared toward challenges of food security as climate change unfolds.

A spokesman, Mr Iotebwa Etuati appreciated more alternatives introduced to them, through the tourism industry as a source of revenue and sustainable development. This trip had offered first hand experiences for participants and targeted communities in generating strategies toward food security.

The trip was funded by the Food Security project which is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) -Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) through  the United Nations Development Programme, and executed by the Environment and Conservation Division under the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development.         

 

77th ANNIVERSARY – BATTLE OF TARAWA & MAKIN

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20 November 2020

77 years ago, today, the US Marines began two separate attack operations on the Japanese on the islands of Makin (Butaritari) and Tarawa in Kiribati known as “Operation Galvanic”. These lasted between 20 – 23 November 1943.

To commemorate the 77th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) is releasing a series of videos and personal interviews and accounts of I-Kiribati survivors of the 1943 battles of Tarawa and Makin.

Produced locally, the videos share very personal stories of trauma and survival by Ikiribati elders who witnessed the atrocities of the war firsthand as children.

TAK Head of Marketing, Ms. Sarah Teetu says that “the stories of the battle of Tarawa and Makin hold significant place in Kiribati’s history and the Tourism Authority of Kiribati will share this part of the destination’s history through the niche battlefield tourism market”.

Teetu adds that remnants of World War 2 are still visible throughout Kiribati today for battlefield travellers to visit and these include coastal guns, bunkers, and other artilleries.

Through its Reset Kiribati program, TAK has embarked on an effort to preserve war relics and promote battlefield tours to Kiribati.

MAURI EXPERIENCE – SUPPORT LOCAL

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19 November 2020

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) and Kiribati tourism business operators today launched the Mauri Experience – Support Local campaign, an initiative targeted to help promote tourism businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the international border closure in late March 2020, Kiribati tourism business operators have been negatively impacted due to the drop of international visitors. This has seen some operators suspending or minimising their offers to suit the low demand in their services.

More than 6 months on and with no confirmed end in sight for this global pandemic, TAK will through this campaign will promote special hotel, restaurant and activity deals and packages available from tourism businesses across Kiribati.

TAK Head of Marketing, Ms. Sarah Teetu shares that “Mauri Experience is a call to the local market to explore the diverse tourist experiences available across the Gilbert and Line Islands”. She added that the campaign is an invitation to travel and support domestic tourism and the Mauri Experience deals will include discounted accommodation rates, special menu deals, happy hour prices, special outer island boat transfer rates and many more.

The campaign will be run via a numerous channel including social media, electronic direct mails, newspaper advertisements, mobile SMS texts, radio, and television. This includes a Mauri Experience Facebook page where deals and special offers will be regularly updated.

TAK hosts final PTI Digital Tourism webinar

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) offices in Tarawa and Kiritimati hosted the last sets of the Pacific Trade and Invest (PTI) Australia’s Advance Tourism Digital webinars for their respective tourism operators on Wednesday 04 November 2020.

The webinar covered Content Marketing, Distribution Strategy and Online Payment Solutions and were an extension of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Market (SEM) online workshops that were held earlier in October.

TAK is leading its industry’s efforts to strengthen Kiribati’s online presence and believes that such an initiative by PTI positively contributes to growing capacity in the digital marketing space for its tourism operators. TAK acknowledges that the content of the webinars was applicable given the status quo in international tourism and the training has helped open their minds to the opportunities available through an effective digital marketing program.

The webinars were attended by 8 operators in Tarawa and 4 operators in Kiritimati.

 

TAK & KiriCAN discuss Collaboration Opportunities

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) met with the Kiribati Climate Action Network (KiriCAN) on 13 October 2020 to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the two organisations.

KiriCAN is the mother organisation for climate change and resilience NGO’s in Kiribati and is well recognised for developing effective climate change mitigation initiatives through agriculture and environmental conservation.

For over 10 years, KiriCAN has been worked with over 700 communities around Kiribati including South Tarawa and other Gilbert island to build resilient initiatives against the impact of climate change. Their activities include capacity building on agricultural skills and techniques to maximize the production, soap making (noni and charcoal), farming healthy greens (organic culinary) and nutritious foods, noni juice, and antibiotics.

The KiriCAN promotes a resilient Kiribati through local adaptation measures as well as a mind-set that will train the local I-Kiribati citizens that climate change is not a threat but an opportunity to learn more on how to survive with it and what are alternatives that can generates revenue.

TAK acknowledges the opportunities KiriCAN presents for the development of responsible and agritourism niche products through community engagement and both organisations seek to explore these potentials further.

 

 

Kiritimati South East Peninsula committee meets

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in Kiritimati is part of the South East Peninsula Project Committee, developed to implement a project that will safeguard Kiritimati Island’s Wildlife.

The committee met on 26 October 2020 to discuss a budget and program for the launch of a new “Kiritimati Island Conservation Protected Areas” project.

The project will be funded under the BIOPAMA programme, an initiative of the ACP Group of States financed by the European Development Fund (EDF), jointly implemented by the International Union for conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Joint Research Center of the European Commission (JRC).

It is envisioned that the project will enhance the management and governance of priority protected areas in Kiritimati by addressing existing limitations, strengthening on-site infrastructure/equipment for patrolling, poaching control, developing capacity of staff. The project will also enforce the legal framework required to achieve effective biodiversity and to support local communities’ initiatives that will enhance the livelihoods of local people and effectively contribute to the management of protected areas.

The project will also oversee the development of the management plan for the protected areas in Kiritimati. Once completed, the plan will provide recommendations for sustainable tourism activities that will generate long term benefits both to the environment and the national economy.

Kiritimati Business Award Survey  

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) together with the Ministry of Industry & Cooperatives (MCIC) in Kiritimati Island conducted a Kiribati Business Survey to five of Kiritimati Accommodations on Thursday 15 October 2020.

Properties surveyed included the Village Hotel, Lagoon View Resort, Little Flower, Sunset Horizon Fishing Lodge and IKARI House. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel to Kiritimati, the survey criteria and questionnaire were altered to reflect the current status of accommodation business operations in Kiritimati

The survey measured each accommodation’s performance based in these new criteria where the highest achiever will be crowned winner Accommodation and Hospitality category in the 2020 Kiribati National Business Awards.

Kiritimati will hold its National Business awards on 28 December 2020.

TAK hosts Digital Marketing Webinar

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) in partnership with the Pacific Trade and Invest (PTI) Australia and World Hotel Link (WHL) hosted a digital marketing webinar for 16 hotel operators in from Tarawa, Abaiang and Kiritimati on Wednesday 21 October 2020.

The program is part of a series of Advanced Digital Tourism Webinars organised by PTI for tourism operators across the Pacific. There Kiribati webinars covered Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Content Marketing.

TAK acknowledged the value of such webinars and how they contribute to its capacity building initiatives for tourism operators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO, Petero Manufolau said that the webinar highlighted the importance of digital marketing management to participating hotels. He added that to be successful, Kiribati tourism operators will need to fully embrace the requirements of this competitive digitised global tourism business environment and be willing to adapt to the new normal in travel and hospitality marketing.

Attendees appreciated the relevance of the webinar to their businesses and acknowledged that information gathered will be put to good use as they wait for international borders to open.

TAK and PTI will host second webinar on Distribution Strategies and Payment Solutions on 04 November 2020.