Update from the Division: July 2022

Mālō te ma’uli from the islands of Wallis and Futuna!

In this issue of the Sustainable Tourism Newsbeat, we are happy to share some interesting initiatives from Wallis and Futuna.  The month of July marked the reopening of the territory to the world and it coincided with the celebration of the National Day of France on the 14^th of July and the Territorial Holiday on the 29^th of July.  The ordination of the Futunan priest on the island of Futuna, son of Tu’iagaifo, the King of Alo was a major religious occasion this month bringing together the community from across the islands. 

This month also saw the launch of the Wallis and Futuna Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy for the next five years.  Plans are in the pipeline for setting up the Tourism Office in 2023. Village clean-up campaigns, renewable energy projects and conservation initiatives are in full swing across the island group.

As part of the tourism reopening strategy, work has been undertaken in enhancing visitor experience through the setting up of information booths at the airports.  Promotional campaigns have been boosted on social media channels as this new tourist destination welcomes back visitors to its shores. 

At the regional level, we share in this newsletter an update on the Tourism SME Recovery Training from 11 countries in the region which is underway virtually. Climate action by the Tourism Authority of Kiribati is also shared along with insights from SPTO CEO, Mr Christopher Cocker, on resilient tourism sailing into 2030.

We take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome the Kingdom of Tonga for joining the list of signatories to the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Statement of Commitment.

Our Resource of the Month features the Reopening Borders to Tourism in the Pacific island Countries – Key Lessons and Guidance from the Private Sector Development Initiative.  The Partner Spotlight features the recent 51^st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.  Don’t forget to check the events and announcements and get some tips and facts on sustainable travel.

Please feel free to reach out to sustainable@spto.org for any queries or sustainable tourism stories you would like to share from the Pacific region in our next issue.

Malo te ofa and Merci!