SPTO Boosts Industry Awareness On Sustainable Resource Management In Hotels

The South Pacific Tourism Organisation is working with partners to boost industry awareness of sustainability in the hotel sector in Samoa and Fiji through the roll out of industry awareness and training programmes on Sustainable Resource Management in Hotels.
In a collaborative effort with the Governments of Fiji and Samoa and technical support provided by Sustainable Travel International and SPTO, the training programmes are being piloted in these two countries with a focus on acquiring lessons learnt to develop a replicable approach for the region.
The activity stems from an understanding of the need to build and strengthen stakeholder awareness and capacity in embracing the sustainable tourism development concept and for the industry to increase understanding of the business case in crafting sustainable tourism businesses and destinations.
Conducted under the SPTO Sustainability Monitoring Programme with funding contributions from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNDP Pacific Office, the programme aims to encourage the private sector to show commitment through simple yet practical actions that make a difference.
An interactive 4-day training has recently been completed on the 23^rd to 28^th November in Upolu and Savaii with hotel operators, managers, employees and staff of the Samoa Tourism Authority, Samoa Hotel Association and Savaii Samoa Tourism Association staff. The training included a Train the Trainer component and one-on-one site consultations with selected hotel properties.
Sustainability is understandably still a big concept for the industry in Samoa with increased awareness and education on the concept needed at all levels from Government (policy makers) to individual hotels.
“When I think of sustainability, I think of the environment, we need to ensure that we care for the environment now for the sake of our children,” said Amoa Resort owner on Savaii, Ms. Anita Jamieson-Cafarelli.  “We still need to make those links with the way we operate hotels,” she added.
Participants at the workshop were encouraged to contribute to measuring sustainability performance with the training designed to support sector priorities outlined in the Samoa Tourism Development Plan.
It is also part of the Pacific tourism sector’s contribution to the achievement of the SDGs and is a timely effort that supports global commitment to promoting the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
The Fiji training workshop is held in Suva and Nadi this week from the 5^th to 8^th December and conducted in collaboration with the Fiji Hotel & Tourism Association.

About SPTO
Established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the region. Its 18 Government members are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the People’s Republic of China. In addition to government members, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation enlists a private sector membership base.
ENDS
 
(Source: South Pacific Tourism Organisation [SPTO] Press Release 07 December 2017)
 
For more information, contact:
Alisi Lutu, Marketing Manager
South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
Email: alutu@spto.org or +679 3304177