Tuvalu Tourism Officer Completes Research & Marketing Training Attachment

An important part of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation’s (SPTO) role to market and develop regional tourism is the provision of capacity-building training to its key tourism stakeholders to further enhance and strengthen the quality of their service delivery.
Tuvalu’s Tourism Office, which comes under the portfolio of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, Environment and Labour, is another organization that benefited from a training attachment at SPTO. Tepola Esekia, Assistant Tourism Officer, undertook a week-long training in the area of Marketing and Research & Statistics at SPTO which she has described as “very useful and enlightening”.
“Tuvalu Tourism has a lot to learn to further improve its work on tourism, particularly in the areas of Research and Statistics as well as Marketing. There are certainly gaps in the process we have for data collation and compilation and I am glad that the Research and Statistics training at SPTO covered important topics like surveys, the development of statistical tools like the Arrivals Card, and other relevant areas that we lack”, Ms. Esekia explained.
“Furthermore, we are still lacking in terms of Marketing as much is to be done to enhance our marketing efforts as we try to promote and effectively market Tuvalu as a tourism destination. Basic marketing resources like brochures and other collaterals can certainly be developed to help our work as tourism promotion practitioners”.
Ms. Esekia’s training in the area of Research & Statistics covered topics like Measuring Inbound Arrivals via Entry Cards, Measuring Cruise Arrivals, Measuring Accommodation Statistics, Conducting Air and Cruise Visitor Surveys, and Developing Toolkits. In terms of Marketing, SPTO covered topics such as Digital Marketing, the use of research and statistics to assist in gathering market intel, development of promotional materials and collaterals, managing websites and social media platforms, and other important marketing-related themes.
“SPTO is always looking out for opportunities to strengthen its linkages with its key tourism partners, like the National Tourism Offices, and one such way is through the training attachments we have for our members. We have had countries like Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu in the past and we are really glad to be of assistance to Tuvalu this week”, added SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker.
“Tuvalu is particularly a special case for us at SPTO as they are gearing up preparations to host the Forum Leaders Meeting in 2019 so we have committed to assisting them through capacity building programmes in tourism which is available for both their public and private sectors”, he added.
Ms. Esekia returns home with valuable recommendations for Tuvalu Tourism which includes regular training attachments with SPTO in preparation for the Leaders Meeting in 2019.
Tuvalu’s Tourism Office, which comes under the portfolio of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, Environment and Labour, is another organization that benefited from a training attachment at SPTO. Tepola Esekia, Assistant Tourism Officer, undertook a week-long training in the area of Marketing and Research & Statistics at SPTO which she has described as “very useful and enlightening”.
“Tuvalu Tourism has a lot to learn to further improve its work on tourism, particularly in the areas of Research and Statistics as well as Marketing. There are certainly gaps in the process we have for data collation and compilation and I am glad that the Research and Statistics training at SPTO covered important topics like surveys, the development of statistical tools like the Arrivals Card, and other relevant areas that we lack”, Ms. Esekia explained.
“Furthermore, we are still lacking in terms of Marketing as much is to be done to enhance our marketing efforts as we try to promote and effectively market Tuvalu as a tourism destination. Basic marketing resources like brochures and other collaterals can certainly be developed to help our work as tourism promotion practitioners”.
Ms. Esekia’s training in the area of Research & Statistics covered topics like Measuring Inbound Arrivals via Entry Cards, Measuring Cruise Arrivals, Measuring Accommodation Statistics, Conducting Air and Cruise Visitor Surveys, and Developing Toolkits. In terms of Marketing, SPTO covered topics such as Digital Marketing, the use of research and statistics to assist in gathering market intel, development of promotional materials and collaterals, managing websites and social media platforms, and other important marketing-related themes.
“SPTO is always looking out for opportunities to strengthen its linkages with its key tourism partners, like the National Tourism Offices, and one such way is through the training attachments we have for our members. We have had countries like Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu in the past and we are really glad to be of assistance to Tuvalu this week”, added SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker.
“Tuvalu is particularly a special case for us at SPTO as they are gearing up preparations to host the Forum Leaders Meeting in 2019 so we have committed to assisting them through capacity building programmes in tourism which is available for both their public and private sectors”, he added.
Ms. Esekia returns home with valuable recommendations for Tuvalu Tourism which includes regular training attachments with SPTO in preparation for the Leaders Meeting in 2019.

Photos:

1. SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker presenting Tepola with a Certificate
2. Tepola surrounded by SPTO staffs

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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.
ENDS
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 [SPTO] Press Release 16 June 2017)