Established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the region.
Its 21 Government members are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna, Rapa Nui and the People’s Republic of China. In addition to government members, the Pacific Tourism Organisation has about 200 private sector members.
The Pacific Tourism Organisation’s Sustainable Tourism Manager, Ms. Christina Leala Gale, was a panelist in the closing session of the Water, WASH, and Climate Virtual Symposium on Thursday 23rd June. Hosted by the Water and WASH Futures team, the symposium brought together a range of stakeholders to discuss amongst other things, the importance of cross-sectoral … read more
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Through the development of an information portal under the New Zealand government-funded ‘Pacific Digital Tourism Transformation Project’ (NZMFAT Phase 2), the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) intends to bolster interaction and collaboration with key stakeholders. The portal will centralize and better coordinate awareness on SPTO’s activities and plans, aligning to the SPTO Strategic Plan 2020 -2024. … read more
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Recognizing the serious implications of the plastics crisis on Pacific island countries, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) along with other regional organisations, civil societies, the private sector, and key stakeholders are participating in the UNDP Pacific’s (Fiji Office) Plastic Circularity Systemic Design Workshop. In acknowledging the initiatives carried out by SPTO in the area of … read more
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Tuesday 28 June – Tourism Fiji has appointed Host/Havas (creative and CX/digital) and Havas Media (media) following a highly competitive pitch process.An integrated team will support the country’s post pandemic recovery as a destination, and implementation of Tourism Fiji’s strategic plan. The scope of work includes evolving Tourism Fiji’s ‘Where Happiness Finds you’ brand platform, … read more
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The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) commended the Fiji Hotel & Tourism Association (FHTA) for successfully holding its 57th Annual General Meeting (AGM). SPTO CEO Mr. Christopher Cocker welcomed the announcement of Mr. Brian Kirsch (Likuri Island Resort) being re-elected as the FHTA President, alongside Vice Presidents Mr. Narend Kumar (Tanoa Hotel Group) and Ms. Tammie … read more
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On Friday 24th June, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) attended a seminar by the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Mr Yeo Seung-bae. Hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva the seminar was an opportunity to encourage greater collaboration and support on Forum Leaders’ priorities including the 2050 Strategy … read more
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Honiara, Solomon Islands – A key tourism and investment team from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has for the first time made a visit to the Solomon Islands. Led by Tourism Minister, His Excellency, Ahmed Agil Alkhateeb, the delegation’s visit served a dual purpose. While aiming to strengthen relationships between the two countries, the minister’s … read more
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Honiara, Solomon Islands – After more than 800 days, the Solomon Islands will reopen its border on 01 July with all existing quarantine requirements to be immediately discontinued. Announcing the news, Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manesseh Sogavare said While quarantine will be dropped, visitors will still need to be fully vaccinated and a negative PCR … read more
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The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) CEO observed the 2nd Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM) this past week. Chaired by the Cook Islands, the RAMM provided a valuable opportunity for Ministers and stakeholders to discuss critical issues regarding the resumption of travel post-pandemic. Agenda items included the revised Pacific Island Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty … read more
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The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) welcomes the announcement of the resumption of the cruise ships market into Fiji, with the first of 39 vessels to arrive in August. The Fijian Government, through the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce (CRMT) recently announced the resumption of the cruise ships market into Fiji. According to the Fiji Bureau of … read more
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Welcome to the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Network! You are here because you have an interest in our efforts to realise a sustainable future for the Pacific Islands through tourism that brings benefits to our people, safeguards our cultural heritage and ensures the environment that we depend on is protected for generations to come.
This platform aims to bring together all stakeholders including individuals, businesses, Government agencies, experts, development partners and travelers to share information, learn from experiences and promote collective efforts in preserving our Pacific destinations through a range of actions that matter.
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Tuvalu is one of the most isolated, smallest, and undeveloped countries in the world. Located midway between in Australia, only the most dedicated and adventurous tourists touch down on this tiny atoll. However, once you get there you’ll be amazed by the friendly welcome and the peace and quiet of these paradise islands. So much … read more
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The islands of Tuvalu are midway between Hawaii and Australia. So, even though they’re tricky to get to, there’s a lot of exciting stuff in store once you arrive! These paradise islands in the South Pacific should be on more travellers’ bucket lists to be honest, but at the minute, it’s one of the least … read more
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Change was needed in the travel industry, even before the pandemic took place. Here’s what 2020 taught us about sustainable tourism and travel for 2021. With 2020 basically putting a halt to all but essential travel, and hotels, monuments, airlines, museums and restaurants trying to reinvent themselves, repurpose their spaces and their services, can the … read more
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To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday 25 January, to minimise disruption for those … read more
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Opinion: Sven Lindblad, CEO, Lindblad Expeditions An article in the New York Times on August 27 bore the headline “Move Over Sustainable Travel, Regenerative Travel Has Arrived.” It got a lot of attention, rightfully so, as it was a very meaningful article. The first two paragraphs were telling. “Once accounting for 10% of employment worldwide, … read more
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