Pacific Tourism Organisation CEO addresses the Global Islands Cultural Diversity Forum

On December 8th, Pacific Tourism Organisation Chief Executive Officer, Chris Cocker, was invited to virtually address the 2022 Global Islands Cultural Diversity Forum (GICDF 2022) opening in Shinan, Korea.

The GICDF 2022 was organized by the Government of Shinan in partnership with the National Assembly Island Development Research Center, sponsored by the Republic of Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

In his opening address, Mr Cocker highlighted the importance of culture to the Pacific as a living phenomenon and one of our greatest assets, as it provides meaning and identity to many.

Mr Cocker added that under the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF) , Culture was embedded into Goal 3 (Visible and Valued Cultures), which seeks to ensure that Pacific cultures are valued as core elements of our tourism offering and that the benefits of tourism support the prosperity of our people.

“Culture is the way of life that people in society are blessed with and can be defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and arts. Intangible Pacific cultural heritage is embodied in our stories, songs, practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills, as well as in associated objects and cultural spaces, that our Pacific communities and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage,”.

“In this regard, culture has an important role to play in the tourism offerings of the Pacific. It should be ingrained in the visitor experience in each of our unique destinations”, he said.