The awareness was held following the formation of the new Tafea local government council bringing together new councilors, tafea stakeholders and representatives from the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO), the Department of Tourism (DoT), South Sea Shipping and the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) who came from Port Vila.
The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) is carrying out the Tanna major road rehabilitation. CCECC has also won the contract for the repairs and upgrade of Tanna’s Whitegrass Airport.
While DPM Natuman pointed out there are only four high level accommodations on Tanna, he also emphasized the need for greater promotion of local products, artifacts and access to tourist sites to enable visitors to explore and learn more about the island.
The First Political Advisor to the Ministry of Trades, Tourism, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, George Iapson, conveyed that the deputy PM encouraged Tanna tourism operators not to involve in activities that would ruin tourism or threaten visitors.
The Principal Tourism Investment Officer at the DoT, Moses Bani, said the purpose of the meeting is about providing information to people on different areas of tourism and setting resolutions to boost tourism.
Cruise tourism, standards, promotion and foreign direct investment are some of the topics deliberated, according to Bani.
After meeting, the delegation went to the Yakel community in middle bush where the DPM presented the people there with cash and a certificate of appreciation from the Ministry of Tourism as acknowledgement from the government for publicizing Vanuatu through the film ‘Tanna’.
Photo: DPM Natuman traveled to Tanna to attend the Tafea stakeholders tourism meeting and also the governments graduate to the people of Yakel for publicising Vanuatu through the film Tanna
(Source: Vanuatu Daily Post 11 April 2017)
