What We Do
Our Pacific Island government membership provides the funds for our core activities. All government members have a seat on our Board of Directors. They are joined by a small number of representatives from the private sector membership. The Board meets formally twice a year to review and endorse annual work plans and monitor progress against them, as well as provide oversight of SPTO’s operations and finances. Various sub-committees, including for finance and smaller island states, provide technical or representational guidance and advice. A chair and deputy chair are elected by members for 3-year terms and work closely with SPTO’s leadership.
The ultimate decision-making body for the organisation is the Council of Ministers of Tourism, which meets annually and provides strategic guidance.
Organisationally, SPTO currently has 23 positions across five divisions: an executive team, a sustainable tourism team, a marketing team, a research and statistics team, and a finance and operations team.
Most of our activities are delivered through projects and programmes funded by external partners. The CEO works with team managers to strengthen partnerships and attract funding that aligns with the organisation’s goals.
As an indication of the scale and breadth of our work, during the 2020–2024 strategic plan period, we:
- Developed 11 sub-strategies and frameworks
- Signed 10 MOUs and maintained 18 strategic partnerships
- Attracted FJD16m in project funding
- Trained 2,703 people
- Attended 43 key regional and 35 international forums
- Attracted 64 buyers and 67 sellers to South Pacific Tourism Exchange in 2024 compared with 55 buyers and 97 sellers in 2019
- Established 1,242 indicators available across 18 countries and territories, collecting data for 383
The Executive Office is responsible for the management of the organisation and achievement of the organisational objectives, through the development and implementation of the Strategic Plan and Annual Divisional Work Plans. The Executive Office is also responsible for growing the SPTO country membership base and increasing the organisation’s funding base, advocacy, stakeholder management, and Board and corporate communications.
Goal: To strengthen collaboration between member countries, private sector stakeholders, and international partners by serving as a point of coordination and support.
Key Responsibilities
The role of the Executive Office is to work closely with staff and members to:
- SPTO’s MFAT Project – Through a large, transformative project funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), SPTO is building the capacity of all of the Pacific Islands on digital marketing and digital skills.
- Drive the overall management and implementation of the Strategic Plan 2020-2024;
- Oversee overall institutional support and funding;
- Commit to achieving targets for the three priority areas and innovative partnerships; and
- Implement robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning process to assess progress and guide decision-making
Key Functions
- Advocacy
- Strategic Management
- Human Resource Management
- Stakeholder Communications
- Partnership Development
- Governance and Reporting
- Membership Management
The division’s role is to market our unique Pacific region to achieve sustainable tourism growth. It serves as the face of SPTO, coordinating and producing all materials representing it. The division works closely with trade partners, development partners, creative agencies, and/or the community. Such collaborations are critical to the success of the Marketing division and SPTO as a whole.
Goal: To facilitate collaborative marketing efforts and events, build members’ capacity to market and promote their unique cultural and natural offerings, and amplify their distinct brands.
Key Functions
- Building Digital capability of SPTO and its member countries
- Cruise & yachting sector development
- Tourism Human Resource Development through regional partnerships
- Pacific Brand Management
- Marketing Planning
- Trade show coordination
- Marketing the region in key long haul, short haul and emerging markets
- Creating awareness of Pacific niche market products
- Managing the Pacific Storytelling Specialist Programme
- Managing the Industry Membership Programme
- Strengthening the Trade & Tourism Promotion Programme in partnership with SPTO Korea
- Providing technical assistance to its members
- Partnering with research agencies to strengthen SPTO’s Data-driven Marketing efforts.
The Division is responsible for effective planning, policy development and strategic decision-making depending up on a relevant and reliable evidence -base. Timely and quality statistical information, market intelligence, and targeted research are critically needed at national and regional levels to provide this evidence base.
Goal: To contribute to responsible tourism outcomes by improving the collection, analysis, and dissemination of tourism-related data and insights to enhance data-driven decision-making and strategic planning within the Pacific tourism sector.
Key Functions
- Tourism Statistics
- Tourism Resource Centre
- Research Publications
- Ad hoc research
- Planning and Policy Support
- HRD Liaison and NTO Attachment
- Project Design and Development
- Technical Assistance
This Division is responsible for encouraging and supporting sustainable tourism development in the Pacific through the coordination of targeted awareness and outreach, ingraining the principles of sustainable tourism planning, and the development of strategic partnerships
Goal: To foster a cohesive, sustainable, and resilient tourism ecosystem across and within Pacific destinations that prioritises environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and community well-being..
Key Functions
- Capacity Building
- Technical Assistance on Sustainable Tourism issues through SPTO Partnerships
- Advisory Capacity on National Plans & Policies relative to Sustainable Tourism Development
The Finance and Corporate Services Division is responsible for profiling the support services function for SPTO, including accounting, ICT, and human resources.
Goal: To strengthen the interdependent relationship between the tourism and aviation sectors, ensuring that both work in harmony to maximise economic, social, and connectivity benefits for the Pacific region.
Key Functions
- Accounts and Audit
- Internal HRD
- Board Papers/Logistics
- Asset Management
- ICT Support Management
Annual Reports
The Pacific Tourism Organisation’s Annual Reports provide a yearly record of the organisation’s work, achievements, partnerships, and financial performance. These reports highlight progress across regional tourism priorities, member support, marketing, research, sustainability, and corporate governance. They also reflect SPTO’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible tourism development across the Pacific.
