Tourism target

ROBERT Muller has an exciting vision for tourism on the Republic of Marshall Islands. Muller, the Secre tary for the Ministry of Resources and Develop ment, firmly believes the republic’s fledgling tourism industry will become a major income earner for the Mar shalls in the next five years or so. Although Majuro and other atolls offer luring natu ral attractions like white beaches and great gamefish ing, Muller is confident that atolls like Bikini, once devas

tated by nuclear testing,

would be a drawcard for tourists in the near future.

When the bikini was in vented in 1946, it took the

name of this denuded island, an apt choice considering the garment’s explosive effect on men. From 1946-1958, 23 nuclear blasts in the atmosphere shook Bikini Atoll, at a cost of $9l billion in today’s dollars; they left a legacy of contamination, cancer, leukaemia, thyroid problems, miscarriages, “jellyfish” babies and irreversible genetic damage. In the 19605, repeated requests from the Bikinians and considerable con troversy induced the US government to

clean up Bikini so the people could return home from where they had been resettled on Kili island. Bikini remains largely uninhabited today. There are a few Bikini males on the island now, working on its rehabilitation.

The 200-or-so sunken ships, including a few large Japanese carriers in Bikini waters, are believed to be still intact. This, coupled with the natural beauty and attractions of Marshalls’ lagoons and atolls, would be

superb attractions for divers, says Muller.

The ministry’s tourism officer Wallace Peter is just as optimistic. “Most people will benefit,” says Peter. “Not just hotels who will accommodate divers and tourists but it will boost the economy as a whole.”

Peter says they are not looking at

duplicating Guam, Hawaii or Saipan in terms of attract

ing tourists and benefiting

from it but want to attract “sizeable numbers”. In 1992, Marshalls received 7000 visitors, of which 900 were actual tourists. “In the next five years we hope the number of tourists will go up to about 1000 per year.”

Marshalls also boasts some of the best gamefishing in the region. Past tournaments have attracted gamefishing enthusiasts from all over the world.

Muller’s ministry is also

working on expanding the

fledgling tuna fishing, to be able to bring it on a par with the established copra indus try which is currently the

number one income earner.

Marshalls offers a vast area to harvest tuna about one million square miles of exclusive economic zone. Tuna is processed on Majuro for export to Japan for sashimi.

Marshalls’ is a growing economy with a new brewery being set on Majuro. It should be operational this year. As President Kabua says “Ours is a growing economy and the government is doing its utmost to support and encourage the private sector to expand to its full potential.”

Muller: secretary

Peter: tourism officer

Waterfront: the waterfront on Majuro is close to the administrative centre

Pictures: ARVIND KUMAR

Coconuts: the mainstay of the Marshalls’ economy