Driving investor interest and confidence in the Solomon Islands’ tourism sector and being in position to manage and accommodate 50,000 international visitors annually by 2027 – just two of the key factors to be deliberated at the inaugural National Sustainable Tourism Investment Forum taking place in Honiara next week.
The Prime Minister, the Hon. Manasseh Damukana Sogavare will officially open the two-day ‘Invest to Preserve’ forum being held at the Heritage Park Hotel from 13 – 14 July.
Minister for Culture & Tourism, the Hon. Bartholomew Parapolo will head a sterling line-up of speakers sourced from the Solomon Islands government, private, aviation and tourism sectors.
These include Governor and Chairman of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, Denton Rarawa, Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto; Solomon Airlines CEO, Brett Gerbers; Solomon Islands Ports Authority, CEO, Eranda Kotelawala and Solomon Islands National Provident Fund Deputy General Manager, Michael Wate.
Internationally drafted speakers include Pacific Asia Travel Association, Regional Director -Pacific, Chris Flynn; International Finance Corporation (IFC), Pacific Tourism Program Consultant, Becky Last; RAW Strategy Director, Roger Wellings and from Fiji, iTaukei Affairs, Deputy General Manager Operations, Solomoni Nata,
Subject matter spread across the two-day agenda will cover a raft of topics relevant to the forum theme.
These include tourism investment trends and prerequisites for sourcing IFC tourism funds to financing investment opportunities.
Government commitments on infrastructure development will also be discussed as part of a presentation to be delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure Department Under Secretary Technical, Jimmy Nuake.
The theme for the forum – ‘Invest to Preserve’ – has been chosen to reflect the conscious direction the Solomon Islands intend to pursue as it works towards realizing the sectors potential in coming years,
More than 200 delegates have registered for the event.
-ENDS-
(Source: Distributed on behalf of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau by Mike Parker-Brown 07 July 2017)
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