SPTO Reaffirms Commitment To Sustainable Tourism Development In The Solomon Islands

The Chief Executive Officer of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), Chris Cocker attended the Solomon Islands National Sustainable Tourism Investment Forum in Honiara last week (July 13 – 14) and used the opportunity to connect with key partners on the ground and explore opportunities to assist the growth of the industry at a national level.
Reflecting upon his attendance at the event, Mr. Cocker said it was a welcome opportunity to support the national initiative and show that the secretariat cares and is able to connect with the tourism industry in its member countries. “The event was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau and the Ministry had sent an invitation letter to SPTO to attend and present at the seminar,” Mr. Cocker said. “As a key partner in the tourism industry, the Ministry saw that SPTO’s participation was vital to contribute towards developing this lucrative industry.”
The theme for the event “Invest to Preserve” reflected the conscious direction Solomon Islands is focused on as it works towards realizing its tourism potential in the right way. The objectives of the forum were:

• To drive investor interest and confidence in the destination
• To identify and address key impediments
• To achieve 50,000 visitors and 700 rooms by 2027

Through his participation, Mr. Cocker was able to highlight SPTO’s role in facilitating and supporting tourism investment in the region and also provide some insights about tourism investment information and participate as a panelist in the session “Tourism Investment in the Pacific Region.” He was able to also establish contacts and networks with senior officials in the Solomon Islands government and discuss other opportunities that SPTO was involved in.
The forum was officially opened by the Hon. Prime Minister of Solomon Islands who stressed that Solomon Islands has selected tourism as key economic driver of Solomon Island’s economy. He continued to highlight to the delegates that a major anticipated outcome from the two days discussion would be the finalization and endorsement of the Draft Tourism Investment Incentives Package for Solomon Islands. The Hon. Prime Minister said that this will be the first time, Solomon Islands will have a set of tourism-specific investment incentives that would help towards attracting the right type and size of tourism investments and also support the realization of the much talked-about tourism potential. In his concluding remarks the Hon Prime Minister  reminded the delegates that the current Government is the first in the history of Solomon Islands that has shown and demonstrated seriousness about the development of tourism.
Given that the event was Solomon Islands inaugural tourism investment forum, SPTO’s attendance was pertinent. A total of 130 delegates attended the forum consisting of Government, tourism industry private sector and owners of eco lodges.
SPTO CEO’s participation was highlighted by the national media raising the visibility of the regional tourism organization in the country.
The two day Forum was closed by the Minister for Tourism in the Solomon Islands.
 
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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.
 
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For more information, contact:
Alisi Lutu, Marketing Manager
South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
Email: alutu@spto.org or +679 3304177
 
(Source: South Pacific Tourism Organisation Press Release [SPTO] 21 July 2017)