Follow the leader
pp. 39-40 · Read in the full issue
leader
BECAUSE the health of the Fiji tourism industry impacts so strongly on other regional countries, the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP) will be closely monitoring the Fiji Tourism Convention at Hyatt Regency this month.
TCSP Director, Malakai Gucake, said Fiji was the leader in the South Pacific and helped generate visitors for the other members: “Whatever happens in Fiji affects other destinations”. After the coups in 1987, visitor arrivals in other regional countries also dropped, then showed a corresponding increase. In terms of tourism development, Fiji is far ahead of its fellow TCSP members, forming a gateway to other South Pacific tourist destinations: “You need a leader and others will generate business from that lead . . . Fiji development helps other countries,” Gucake said. He sees a definite place for a ‘Fiji Incorporated’ but said the concept could be extended to a ‘South Pacific Village incorporated’.
TCSP is an inter-governmental orga nisation of 12 island countries (Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, Western Samoa, Amer ican Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Kiribati, Tuvalu) which aims to foster regional co operation in their development and promotion of tourism. Since 1986, it has been largely funded by the EEC, with contributions from member countries, Australia and New Zealand. Its 1990 budget is F 54.399 million, with the EEC providing additional funding for TCSP to attend four international tourism shows Berlin, London, Chicago and Sydney.
TCSP promotes, co-ordinates, plans and implements tourism projects and activities in the region. Projects under its
Tourism Planning and Development
Programme strengthen the economic linkages between tourism and other sec tors of the economy. Product develop ment schemes enhance the tourism pro
duct base and environmental and cultu ral preservation are fostered. TCSP also provides technical assistance in tourism
planning.
TCSP has produced a series of 12 documentaries on the region and de
veloped a package of marketing publica
tions in its Marketing and Promotion Programme, which also co-ordinates the regr n’s participation in international travel fairs using the South Pacific Vil lage concept, which Gucake said streng thens regional co-operation between the islands. TCSP recently opened two offices in Europe and one in Britain.
The Research and Statistics Program me runs a computerised regional tour ism database and utilises other research tools to collect process, interpret and dis seminate statistics. It is also assessing the economic significance of tourism in the region.
Under its Education and Training Programme, TCSP runs training schemes for the hotel and catering in dustry and tour operation sector and short tourism management training courses. Community education has in cluded provision of materials for the in troduction of tourism into the social sci ence curricula of schools, publications and the production of a video. □
Asaeli Lave
Air Pacific at Nadi: financially very sound.