Pacific Tourism Organisation supports the launch of the Lagitoki Strategic Plan

From 10^th – 12^th June, the Pacific Tourism Organisation participated in the Kioa Island Community Organisation (KICO) Capacity Building Workshop and also witnessed the launch of the Lagitoki Strategic Plan 2022 – 2027.

During their stay, the SPTO team engaged in important discussions with the community on tourism priorities, partnership opportunities and the promising potential for community-based tourism initiatives on the Island.

In acknowledging the opportunity to attend the launch, SPTO’s Manager for Sustainable Tourism, Ms Christina Leala Gale, noted the important linkages between culture and tourism, which gives Pacific island destinations like Kioa a unique advantage.

“With its rich cultural and natural heritage, Kioa is an extremely special destination with great potential for community-based ecotourism experiences which are rooted in the Tuvaluan culture and way of life”. 

“The Lagitoki Strategic Plan highlights both culture and tourism as key priority areas for the island. This aligns well with SPTO’s Strategic Plan 2020- 2024 and the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework and we look forward to using this as a basis for further engagement with KICO”, she said. 

Ms. Gale also added that the launch provided an opportunity for discussions on the soon to be launched Tuvalu Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, the  Pacific Tourism Waste Action Initiative (PTWAI) and SPTO’s Tourism Industry Membership Programme.

The SPTO team also used the opportunity to undertake monitoring of the impacts of the plastics repurposing workshops delivered in Savusavu and Taveuni in 2021.