Celebrating Achievements and Progress in the Division – August 2025

Halo Olaketa from the SPTO Division of Sustainable Tourism!

We are excited to provide you with another monthly issue of key updates from the Pacific on sustainable and responsible tourism developments and successes. In this August issue, we take you to the Hapi Isles of the Solomon Islands!  The Titiru Eco Lodge in Rendova, Solomon Islands, exemplifies sustainable tourism by integrating environmental protection, cultural immersion, and community empowerment, all rooted in the vision of its founder, Paza. Complementing this initiative, the Solomon Islands government aims to transform its tourism sector by 2035, with a focus on sustainable practices and strategic marketing to encourage a high number of responsible visitors. With Tourism Solomons at the forefront, the country is enhancing international partnerships and accessibility to promote eco-friendly travel while ensuring the well-being of local communities and the preservation of natural resources.

August also saw some notable activities from the region as we continue our journey in transforming our tourism sector into a more responsible and sustainable industry. These include updates from Tahiti, Fiji, Micronesia, PNG, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga. Our resource of the month is UN Tourism’s Compendium of Good Practices in Indigenous Tourism, before we conclude with key upcoming events, including the 3^rd Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit (PSTLS)

The Division is excited to share the following updates concerning our activities for the month of August:

• Concluded Phase 2 of the Peer-to-Peer Exchange between the Samoa and Fiji Community Tourism Operators.
• Supported the coordination of the National Tourism Office and SPTO attendance at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Conference that was held in Nadi, Fiji
• Conducted the in-country sustainable tourism workshop for Tuvalu, covering a Customer Service Training and a workshop on the Standards and Certification Programme for phasing out single-use plastics.
• Commenced the selection process for the funded youth cohort for the Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Tourism, scheduled to be held on the 20^th of October at Vava’u, Tonga.
• Planning of the in-country stakeholder consultations as part of the Regional Gastronomy Tourism Project.
• Commenced the EOI process for the development of the marketing materials for the above-mentioned Standards and Certification Programme
• Continued preparations for the upcoming PSTLS in Tonga.
• Preparations for the launch of Pacific Cultural Tourism Training.

We invite you to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive updates, invitations, and announcements from the SPTO Division of Sustainable Tourism. Please stay tuned for our upcoming Newsbeat for September, which will feature a special edition celebrating World Tourism Day on the 27^th of September.

For further inquiries, please contact us at sustainable@spto.org