Strategies to shape the future of sustainable tourism development in the Pacific
2 June 2021
Update from the Sustainable Tourism and Research Division – May 2021
5 June 2021
Endorsement of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy
At its recent Board of Directors Meeting held on 26 May 2021, the SPTO Board of Directors reviewed and endorsed the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy 2021-2030. The PTSS defines strategies and actions to increase the production of a new and broader range of tourism data and encourage the wider use of tourism and related data to inform decision making by all tourism stakeholders. The ambition of the PTSS is to build robust tourism statistical systems at national and regional levels to address the data needs in the Pacific region. The PTSS vision is “the regular production of high quality sustainable tourism statistics and indicators that are acknowledged as the key source for monitoring sustainable tourism in the Pacific region.” SPTO would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution and input of its members, partners and stakeholders including the public and private sectors and civil society throughout the development of the PTSS.
SPTO Private Sector Survey
The direct impact of COVID-19 on employment has been ‘cushioned’ by businesses still in operation with COVID-19 specified protocol in place and the implementation of several measures to keep staff employed. The recently completed SPTO 2021 Tourism Private Sector Survey found that during the pandemic, 6% of businesses have been able to assist with the re-employment of their staff in other sectors. Whilst the Tourism Sector continues to plan and prepare for a new ‘normal’ and re-thinking and strategies for the future, the survey identified that businesses in Small Island States and Territories (SIST) have identified their top five training needs were in the areas of Service Excellence, Destination Marketing Inbound Travel, Tour Guiding Services, Inbound Tours & Travel and Front Desk Duties.. The geographically larger countries in the Pacific region listed an increased need for COVID-19 Safety Protocol training in their Training Needs Assessment and these responses may be attributed to increased vulnerability within the service sector particularly frontline industry employees. A summary of the COVID-19 impacts update for 2020 has been assimilated in the 2020 Annual Visitor Arrivals Snapshot which is now available from SPTO.
The SPTO’s Market Watch issue which provides information on outbound market trends for April 2021 is now available and can be accessed here.
