Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit 2023: Pioneering a Resilient Future for Pacific Communities

The 2023 Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit (PSTLS), held in French Polynesia on October 15-16, has ignited a new era of sustainable tourism in the Pacific region.

With fervent dialogue challenging conventional norms and showcasing innovative opportunities, the Summit has paved the way for co-creating resilient destinations and forging meaningful partnerships for the future. The summit has heralded a new era of sustainability, partnership, and resilience, paving the way for a brighter future for Pacific communities.

The Summit acknowledged the 14 Outcomes of the inaugural Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Tourism held earlier this year. It recognised the importance of encouraging meaningful involvement of youth and valuing their contribution to shaping tourism policies, marketing, and destination development. The list below summarises the outcomes discussed at the summit:

Economic empowerment of communities through inclusive tourism development

• Embracing Cultural Identity: The Pacific People’s identity is deeply rooted in their stories, which should be actively shared and promoted to shape the direction of tourism in the region. This emphasis on cultural narratives can help define the essence of their tourism development.
• Values and Research-Driven Tourism: Pacific values should be the driving force behind their tourism approach, and quality data and research should inform decision-making. This ensures a sustainable and culturally sensitive tourism industry.
• Community-Centric Planning: Communities need to take a central role in the planning and development of tourism. The responsibility lies in co-creating tourism opportunities with and for the local communities, prioritizing their needs and aspirations.
• Empowering Gender Equality: Strategic decision-making within Member Countries can empower them to address gender disparities in the tourism industry. To achieve this, improving the collaboration between National Tourism Organizations and Ministries of Women Affairs, supported by policies and resources, is essential. Additionally, conducting gender audits can help identify and address issues such as sexual harassment, the needs of marginalized groups, and the roles of women in both urban and rural tourism settings.

Culture and people-centered approaches to tourism development

• Culture is an enabler of sustainable tourism and we need to engage further in placing culture at the center of the tourism experience and defining culturally ethical tourism.
• Having ‘Culture’ recognised as a development priority at regional level means we can now mobilise resources.
• There is immense strength in sharing our vulnerabilities and lessons learned, not just the good stories.

Partnering for green investment for community prosperity through tourism

• Engaging with communities early and investing in capacity building is crucial for green investment in tourism, as demonstrated by the Marquesas Islands example.
• Financial sustainability models for World Heritage Sites, utilizing tourism-generated income to ensure fair compensation, are essential for long-term success.
• Collaboration and a collective commitment to sustainability, as promoted by the Global Island Partnership Alliance, play a central role in driving community and island resilience, and economic and social prosperity.
• Tourism should prioritize benefiting local communities, emphasizing authenticity to foster mutual understanding and restoration.
• Developing ‘geoparks’ aligns with national development plans, the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF), and the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Commitment, and countries seek support from development partners and donors to achieve this. Leveraging knowledge at regional, national, and global scales, with a focus on community engagement, is vital for success.

Climate financing for Tourism Resilience

• Coral Gardeners and SPREP aim to engage the tourism industry in coral regeneration efforts to promote sustainability, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to address climate, social, and economic objectives in the Pacific.
• Collaboration and stronger connections are essential among various sectors, including agriculture, food security, renewable energy, transportation, waste management, and marine protection, to tackle the challenges posed by tourism and climate change.
• Recognizing that funding alone is insufficient, there’s a focus on nurturing relationships, sharing knowledge, and simplifying funding processes for both public and private sectors to access climate change financing.
• The Pacific Sustainable Tourism Project Fund (PSTPF) serves as a vital framework for climate financing and regional collaboration, with an emphasis on acknowledging and integrating the needs of the private sector in building tourism sector resilience and addressing environmental issues like single-use plastic litter.

Partnering for Success – The discussions on future partnerships are duly acknowledged.   These are the key messages:

• The tourism industry in the Pacific is evolving, shifting from a volume-based growth model to one focused on value and resilience, requiring greater complexity in management and planning.
• SPTO should lead efforts to coordinate and communicate the tourism sector’s needs to donors, fostering collaboration for the well-being of Pacific communities.
• The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent serves as a long-term policy framework, emphasizing collaboration, policy integration, and resource mobilization for sustainable tourism.
• Key priorities include transparency among donors, empowering community champions for sustainable tourism, enforcing environmental protection policies, combating plastic pollution, and the introduction of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standard (PSTS) as a significant milestone in advancing responsible tourism in the region.

The 2023 PSTLS has not only sown the seeds of sustainable tourism but watered them with inspiration and determination.  Moving towards a more sustainable and resilient Pacific, these outcomes will serve as the guiding light, steering the region toward a brighter future.