Pacific Tourism Organisation Launch of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standard (PSTS)

The 2nd Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit witnessed a historic moment with the official launch of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standard (PSTS), setting a new benchmark in sustainable tourism practices. The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) held the two-day event in French Polynesia.

The PSTS results from a year-long collaborative effort, beginning in June 2022 and reaching its culmination in June 2023. Notably, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has officially recognised the PSTS as equivalent to its own criteria, marking a significant milestone in pursuing sustainable tourism.

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation CEO and Chair of the Sustainable Tourism Board Sub-Committee, Karla Eggelton, expressed readiness to support the rollout of awareness and training programs across the Pacific region, underscoring the commitment to making the PSTS a success.

The development of the PSTS was made possible through the generous funding the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFAT) provided. TRC Tourism was pivotal in developing the PSTS, facilitating consultations with National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), CROP Agencies, and other key partners.

Highlighting the importance of putting policy into action, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Tourism Specialist Paul Davis mentioned that policy strategies like the PTSS could be developed and left on the shelf too often.

“This has been actively worked on with the expert guidance of TRC Tourism and is now embraced by all your organisations,” Mr. Davis said.

SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker emphasised that the launch of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standard represented a significant step towards more responsible and sustainable tourism practices in the Pacific region.

He said it was a testament to the collaborative efforts of governments, organisations, and individuals who are committed to protecting and preserving the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Pacific for future generations.

“The importance of collective action and that the standards provide another pathway for effecting transformative change in tourism by turning policy into action. We have heard in the last two days that the journey towards sustainable tourism cannot be embarked upon in isolation. We all need to work together – or nothing will move forward,” Mr Cocker said.

“As we look ahead, the next phase of implementation for the PSTS will involve raising awareness and implementing training programs, ensuring that the standards are effectively integrated into the operations of NTOs across the Pacific.”
* South Pacific Tourism Organisation https://www.spto.org/
* aniumataiwalu@spto.org

Tuvalu is first nation forced into the metaverse due to rising sea levels

Tuvalu

Due to global climate inaction, the Pacific nation of Tuvalu will soon disappear underwater, potentially forcing the first digital migration of an entire country.

Tuvalu is a low-lying Pacific nation currently experiencing the effects of a global sea level rise caused by climate change and expected to be underwater in a matter of decades due to global inaction. As a result, Tuvalu could be the first completely digitised nation in the metaverse as the country works to ensure a future, even after their land is washed away.

For years now the small island nation has been asking world leaders to act and adhere to commitments made in the 2015 Paris Agreement. This year Simon Kofe, the Minister Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu, arrived at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) with a different message: that it is time to look at alternative solutions to save his country, highlighted in the Future Now Project – a proactive stance toward the worst case-scenario.

Tuvalu To Be The First Nation To Be Forced Into The Metaverse

“As a progressive nation, we are excited at the opportunity for Tuvalu to exist in the metaverse – but not to the extent of losing our lands,” said the Hon. Simon Kofe. “The tragedy of this outcome cannot be overstated. But because the world has not acted, we must. Tuvalu could be the first country in the world to exist solely in cyberspace – but if global warming continues unchecked, it won’t be the last.

“The world’s inaction means that our pacific region must take greater action and forge our own path as leaders on the international stage, but our action alone cannot stop the current trajectory of climate change.”

Kofe’s COP27 speech unveiled a striking visual that only begins to tell the story of the first ever country to seek digital sovereignty in order to preserve its culture, place, identity, and statehood status under international law. The minister delivered his speech to the world from the digital twin of one of the islands, which has been built by Accenture.

The government of Tuvalu intends to build digital replicas of all of Tuvalu’s islands; an accurate, visually immersive virtual model of a real-world environment. His speech was a reminder that because their repeated calls for action have been ignored, Tuvalu must take urgent measures to ensure a future for the country, its people and its culture.

Minister Kofe is calling on global citizens to assist Tuvalu by holding their own governments accountable to existing commitments to the Paris Agreement. As part of the campaign, Tuvalu has created a dedicated website that includes pre-written letters of action for people to send to their local government representatives.

Simon Kofe

While countries continue to work towards making the big decisions that will limit climate change, Tuvalu is beginning to work out how to catalogue, map, record and save as much of their island life as possible. Historical documents, records of cultural practices, family albums and the traditional songs are just some of the things that will be making their way to the metaverse.

Tuvalu is also looking at how to digitise its government administrative system, shifting its operations online so that it can continue to fully function as a sovereign state. It is also considering legal avenues to ensure the permanency of statehood and maritime boundaries even as sea levels rise. These are the first steps in a long, yet inevitable, process.

Visit tuvalu.tv to support Tuvalu and help mitigate their climate situation.

*Source: ANNA LASKARIS, SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, +61 413 810 453
anna.laskaris@thrivepr.com.au, thrivepr.com.au

Soon-to-be Pacific Encounter Gets Her New ‘Name Badge’ and P&O Cruises Australia Identity

Amid growing optimism of a restart of cruising, soon-to-be Pacific Encounter has arrived in Singapore to be greeted by her new P&O Cruises Australia ‘name badge’ already waiting for her on the dockside.

The ship’s P&O branding — each side 20 metres long, eight metres high and weighing three tonnes — will ultimately be proudly displayed in the familiar position on the funnel high above the top deck.

All of this activity is the latest sign of P&O’s fleet transformation in which Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure will join Pacific Explorer in coming months signalling a bright future for Australia’s home grown cruise line.

“This is also a sign of P&O’s resilience and strength as we look forward to the restart of cruising and the rebuilding of cruising in our region,” said President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Sture Myrmell. “It is also a tribute to P&O’s many loyal guests who have stuck by us through these challenging times.”

P&O’s design and technical team members are in Singapore helping to make Pacific Encounter ready for her fleet entry using it as a template for Pacific Adventure’s introduction.

Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au

IHG Delivers Record Conversions in Region Following Signing of Crowne Plaza® Resort Saipan

IHG has signed a long-term agreement with Asia Pacific Hotels Inc to take on management of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, from May 2020*.

The impressive 416-room hotel will rebrand as Crowne Plaza® Resort Saipan in 2022 following a refurbishment, before adding a 116-room extension by 2025. Alongside IHG's October announcement that it has taken on management of the 318-room Fiesta Resort Guam, a hotel that will rebrand as a Crowne Plaza in 2021, the combined 850 room count makes the biggest ever conversion signing for IHG's Australasia, Japan and Pacific Islands region.

Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands and is part of the Commonwealth of the United States. A 20-minute flight from Guam, Saipan is characterised by sandy shores and mountainous landscapes, and boasts several championship golf courses. It has a borderline tropical rainforest climate and, with an average year-round maximum temperature of 28.9°C, Saipan has been cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the least fluctuating temperatures in the world.**

Fiesta Resort Saipan features six dining outlets and a club lounge, and also offers four meeting rooms, a 300-person ballroom, a gym, multiple swimming pools, retail area and a stunning 500 metre beach frontage.

Abhijay Sandilya, IHG's Vice President Development, Australasia, Japan & Pacific, said: “We are honoured to build on our relationship with Asia Pacific Hotels Inc as they put their trust in IHG to take on a another of their great hotels, Fiesta Resort Saipan, and rebrand it as a Crowne Plaza. Saipan, and Micronesia more broadly, is a favourite destination for travellers from around the world, and from Korea, China and Japan in particular, and we will draw on IHG's deep expertise in catering to guests from these markets. We look forward to growing the resort's footprint with our world-class Crowne Plaza brand.”

IHG has extensive experience in operating hotels and resorts that cater to Japanese, Korean and Chinese guests, with more than 400 hotels across China and Korea, and 32 hotels in Japan, including InterContinental resorts in Okinawa and the spectacular ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort and Spa, which opened in August last year.

Jennifer Tan Su, EVP of Asia Pacific Hotels Inc, commented: “Since we partnered with IHG in October 2019 our relationship has gone from strength to strength, and we are delighted to hand over the operations of our Fiesta Resorts in Guam and Saipan to IHG. Saipan enjoys great hotel fundamentals, stable tourism and moderately long average stays, but has a distinct lack of great, internationally branded hotels, so we knew we needed a global brand like Crowne Plaza to attract guests from around the world bring a new level of hospitality to Saipan. We are excited for the next phase of growth for this fantastic hotel, and look forward to growing the partnership with IHG.”

Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan will join the brand in its most exciting era of transformation, as Crowne Plaza rolls-out its global flagship strategy. The first six flagship hotels have started to open across Europe, the US and China, illustrating the new hallmark design innovation and brand standards across technology, public spaces (the 'Plaza Workspace'), guest rooms, food & beverage and more. The brand's transformation will be showcased in Australia with the opening of three new-build Crowne Plazas from Q2 in Hobart, Adelaide and Sydney. The new design is inspired by the continued guest demand for flexible spaces, offering seamless transition between business and downtime for the modern traveller.

IHG currently has 85 hotels operating under six brands in Australasia, Japan and the Pacific Islands, including: InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn®, vocoTM, Hotel Indigo® and Holiday Inn Express®, with another 42 in the pipeline, including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.***

* Subject to accessibility restrictions due to Covd-19
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan
***Numbers correct as at end 31 December 2019

#IHG, #CrownePlaza, #Saipan, #Micronesia, #FederatedStatesof\Micronesia

Regional Tourism Sector Achieves 3.16 Million Visitor Arrivals in 2018

“2018 was a favorable year for the regional tourism sector with a total of 3.16 million visitor arrivals during the year. Of this, air arrivals were 2.14 million in 2018, 1.6% above 2017 while sea arrivals, mainly cruise (day visitors) were 1.02 million,” said SPTO Chief Executive Officer, Chris Cocker. These figures were released by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation in its 2018 Annual Visitor Arrivals Report.

The Report also noted that Pacific tourism receipts or visitor spending in destinations contributed US$3.8 billion or 11.1% to the region's GDP and generated 131,010 jobs placing the tourism sector as a key driver of economic growth and employment creation for the Pacific Islands.

Highlights of the 2018 Annual Visitor Arrivals Report include:

• In terms of air arrivals, Fiji continues as a popular destination, accounting for 40.7%, French Polynesia 10.1%, Cook Islands 7.9%, Samoa 7.8%, Papua New Guinea (PNG) 5.7%, New Caledonia 5.6%, Vanuatu 5.4% and Palau at 5.0%.
• For total visitor arrivals (both air and cruise), Fiji led with 33.1%, New Caledonia followed at 18.1% whilst Vanuatu was third at 11.1%.
• Air arrivals by key source markets rose by 13.5% with Europe, USA and New Zealand leading growth at 11.7%, 8.9% and 4.4%, respectively in 2018.
• Australia and New Zealand continued to dominate tourist arrivals at 50.7%. USA followed at 10.5%, Europe 9.7%, Other Asia 7.7% and Pacific Islands at 7.1% share.
• 9% of tourists were in the region for leisure whilst visiting friends and relatives (VFR) represented 13.9% and business 12.1%.
• National tourism budgets for Pacific Island Countries in 2018 were US$105.75 million. Of this, marketing and promotion accounted for 56.7 of the total budget.

The 2018 Annual Visitor Arrivals Report is an annual SPTO publication for member countries and private sector members. The Report provides detailed analysis on tourist arrivals by destinations, source markets, air and cruise arrivals and earnings. Figures are derived from reports provided by the National Statistics Offices and the National Tourism Offices of SPTO member countries.

The report is available to SPTO member countries and private sector members. For access to the report, please contact membership@spto.org.

Website: www.spto.org/