Tahiti Interview With The Chief Executive Of SPTO

Tourism Minister Nicole Bouteau met with Christopher Cocker, Chief Executive of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), who is visiting Polynesia as part of a seminar organized by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council on November 20 and 21 at Papeete.

The Minister and the Chief Executive of the SPTO discussed the organisation of the upcoming 2018 Seatrade Cruise Global whose participation in the Pacific region was entrusted to the South Pacific Cruise Alliance – SPCA created in 2011 on the initiative of the Tahiti Cruise Club because the Polynesian strategy is also part of a broader regional strategy. The goal is to convince cruise lines to develop intrapacific routes from Australia, New Zealand or the west coast of the United States.

Throughout the trade shows, Polynesia and the island states and territories have been able to distinguish themselves and appear today as a separate area in the shipowners’ catalogs. Activity has doubled. The continuity and coherence of these approaches is reassuring shipowners in their consideration of the South Pacific Basin as a real opportunity with enhanced operational capabilities.

The Minister also requested support from the SPTO to support the South Pacific Sailing Network (SPSN) initiative, which aims to develop links, synergies and exchanges between South Pacific island destinations in the fields of pleasure boating. , great pleasure and sailing. This recent initiative of the actors of the nautical tourism and the pleasure of the islands of Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand and New Caledonia, to join forces is to be welcomed, the collaborations on the regional scale being necessary .

Christopher Cocker spoke about the topics discussed at the Pacific Council of Tourism Ministers held on October 27 in Vanuatu. Polynesia was represented by Tahiti Tourism. Among the topics discussed was the organization in 2019 of theChina-Pacific Tourism Year . The celebrations will follow those of China-Australia tourism year 2017 and China-New Zealand tourism year 2018. This initiative will enable the realization of a regional marketing campaign for the Chinese market, the organization of a series of events in China or in the Pacific region as well as promoting the region.

The Director General of the South Pacific Tourism Organization shared his intention to present circular economy development projects in the regional tourism sector at the next SPTO donor forum.

Government Communiqué

(Source: Tahiti News Info Flash 24 November 2017)