Pacific Tourism Organisation Delegation Attends2024 World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF)

The Pacific region witnessed a historic moment as a delegation from the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) joined representatives from Fiji and the Solomon Islands at the 2024 World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Wellington Summit. This is the first-ever hosting of such an event in Oceania or the Southern Hemisphere.

Joining the SPTO delegation at the Summit were Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Education, Hon. Viliame Gavoka, Jacinta Lal, Fiji’s Director of Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, and Solomon Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand, His Excellency (HE) Eliam Tangirongo.

Invited by WTCF and the Mayor of Wellington, Acting Chair Lady Adela Aru and CEO Chris Cocker of SPTO actively participated in the Summit, with Mr. Cocker delivering a presentation at the Oceania Tourism Dialogue. Themed “Promoting Sustainable City Tourism: Innovation and Enhancement,” the Summit focused on fostering sustainable tourism strategies.

Mr. Cocker mentioned that the Summit provided an invaluable platform for Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to discuss their experiences in confronting the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on their tourism sectors. It emphasized sharing lessons on building resilience in tourism and private sectors to enhance sustainable tourism practices.

Reflecting on SPTO’s participation, Mr. Cocker highlighted the importance of increasing SPTO’s profile and global role in shaping sustainable tourism plans for the future. He emphasised gaining insights into resilience building post-COVID-19, economic diversification, community tourism, and sustainable tourism practices from the WTCF.

“The Summit also facilitated knowledge exchange on collaborative and partnership opportunities with WTCF delegates, enabling SPTO to establish and renew its network and partnerships with WTCF members, development partners, and key stakeholders attending.The main takeaways from this summit was the invaluable contacts of potential buyers from China and the WTCF cities that can cattend future SPTEs and the pertinent information on sustainable best practices shared by the WTCF cities,” Mr Cocker said.

“SPTO extends its appreciation to the World Tourism Cities Federation for sponsoring its attendance and acknowledges the Wellington Tourism Council for hosting the event.”

The WTCF, a pioneering international organization dedicated to shaping cities’ tourism strategies and development, hosted the Summit jointly with the Wellington City Council. With 58 founding members, including Wellington, the WTCF now boasts 164 city members, 81 associate members, and institutional members from 86 countries headquartered in Beijing.