Asia Pacific Regional Consultation on the Sustainable Tourism
Programme of the 10-Year Framework of Programme (10 YPF) on
Sustainable Consumption and Production
Busan, Korea, 17-18 April 2014
REGIONAL TOURISM PLANS AND PRIORITIES FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN PACIFIC ISLANDS
Ilisoni Vuidreketi
CEO, South Pacific Tourism Organisation
1
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
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Pacific Islands – A snapshot
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Status of the Pacific’s Tourism Industry
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Constraints to Growth
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Regional Strategies and Sector Priorities
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Priority Actions for Sustainable Consumption and Production
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Pacific Islands Expectations
PACIFIC ISLANDS
- A Snapshot
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16 Island countries; 1.8 million visitors in 2013
Comprise of over 20,000 tropical islands
Total population of about 10 million
Spread over 50 million square kms of Pacific ocean
PACIFIC ISLANDS - A Snapshot
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Small and geographically isolated
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Historically reliant on traditional industries: agriculture and fishing for economic survival
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Tourism industry a promising growth sector across Pacific Island SIDS
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Largest common economic sector contributing to foreign exchange, job creation and
encouraging economic diversification
Range of Tourist Arrival Numbers – 2012 Annual
• Tuvalu – 1,500
• Tonga – 50,000
• Samoa – 135,000
• Fiji – 660,000
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Tourism now a development tool to drive economic growth and provide much needed
employment
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European Union funding – until Dec. 2014.
STATUS OF TOURISM IN PACIFIC ISLANDS
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International Visitor Arrivals: 1.8 million in 2013
Extent of tourism activities in P-SIDS varies widely; economic benefits diverse
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Region’s tourism industry contributed between US$2.5bn and US$3.0bn as gross tourism
receipts in 2012;
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Average annual growth in VAs approximately 3.5%
Direct Contribution – 10.7% of PICs GDP
• Biggest contributor to GDP, foreign exchange earnings, employment (exception
of PNG)
• Best hope for sustainable economic development for PICs.
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(source: World Travel Tourism Council, 2013 Report)
CONSTRAINTS TO GROWTH
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Geographical spread and isolation of P-SIDS
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Small population base and limited domestic capital for investment
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Low level critical mass, restricted marketing funds and high production cost
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Inadequate infrastructure and high cost of transportation and services
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Limited capacity among key public sector tourism related agencies
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Limited tourism statistics, research and intelligence data to improve sector
planning, development, marketing and advocacy
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Inadequate conservation of marine and land resources
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High vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change impacts
REGIONAL TOURISM STRATEGY AND PRIORITIES
Pacific Regional Tourism Strategy 2015-2019
• Wide public and private sector industry consultations 2012-2014
• Identified 3 key strategic areas for development support at a regional level
• To be approved by the Pacific Islands Ministers of Tourism, October 2014
3 key strategic areas for tourism sector development at a regional level:
a)
Developing sustainable tourism products
- integration of tourism in the natural and cultural environment
- environmental legislation and guidelines
- addressing vulnerability to natural disasters
- niche and emerging market products
b)
Developing institutional capacity and the Pacific people
- supporting training providers
- identifying training gaps - TNA
- qualifications frameworks
c)
Improving access and transport infrastructure
- air transportation and tourism development
- cruise shipping development
REGIONAL PRIORITY ACTIONS
To support Global Action for Sustainable Consumption and Production:
1.
Support and strengthen tourism planning controls, policies and development regulations
and seek to incorporate these into national and local level tourism planning
2.
Promotion and development of sustainable tourism activities as tools for the retention and
regeneration of niche products such as eco-tourism, culture-tourism, heritage tourism and
agro-tourism.
Support local participatory measures to strengthen local employment and engagement in
the sector, such as SME development, cruise shipping development, community based
tourism, art and craft.
3.
4.
Protect the SIDS’ natural environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, through the
development and dissemination of environmental guidelines for tourism operators,
tourists and stakeholders
5.
Promote and develop strategic partnerships with development organisations to provide
direct and focused support for sustainable tourism development initiatives
6.
Encourage the establishment of governance and management structures for tourism, and
enable a meaningful partnership approach between the public and private sector and local
community.
PACIFIC ISLANDS EXPECTATIONS
Pacific Islands SIDS expectations of this conference are:
a) To compile and identify practical and relevant (sustainable) tourism development
issues and needs of Pacific Islands towards the 10YFP
b) To produce meaningful outputs that will feature in the outcome documents on Tourism
for UN SIDS Conference in Samoa, September, 2014
c) To be conduit for tourism development support and partnerships between Pacific
Island SIDS and the donor community and development agencies such as UNEP, WTO
d) To produce a well defined and relevant SCP Programme of Action that Pacific Island
SIDS can take back and consider for their respective national and regional plans on
sustainable tourism development.
THANK YOU ALL
And our special THANKS to
UNEP, UNOSD and the Government of the
Republic of Korea