to boost tourism in the region

TCSP focus on private sector to boost tourism in the region

TFEE Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP) says it’s now focus ing on the private sector to boost and promote tourism in the South Pacific.

To that end, TCSP has recommended that it increase its board members to reflect the interests of the private sector.

In an interview with PACNEWS in Palau, where TCSP Director, Levani Tuinabua attended the South Pacific Forum, he said extending the membership of the board was an issue to be discussed at the tourism ministers’ conference and TCSP board in Samoa.

“We have agreed to work a lot more closely with the private sector. We are doing so at the moment but the private sec tor is not involved in the decision making process of TCSP. What we have done is recommend to increase the number of board members from 13 to 19. The addi

tional six will be representatives of the pri vate sector,” Tuinabua said. “We hope their presence in the Board will guide TCSP in formulating activities that meet the needs of the private sector. Once we do that, then we believe the private sector will support our work. This will, we hope will lead to them supporting our work finan cially,” the TCSP Director said.

This was also part of his his paper presented to the leaders at the 30th South Pacific Forum in Koror.

Tuinabua said TCSP’s main donor, the European Union, had changed its poli cy and told TCSP that it would not fund marketing projects and focus more on the work of the private sector in tourism devel opment. “We are still negotiating with the EU and we hope they will see reasons, the importance of marketing for tourism in the

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Palauan president Kuniwo Nakamura

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South Pacific and give us some support.

But we do know that the support from the EU will not be there for perpertuity so we have to prepare for the time to look after ourselves,” Tuinabua said.

TCSP has also received US$9O,OOO

from Taiwan to research the potential of the Taiwanese market for the Pacific and the provision of tourist management informa tion. PNS

Forum leaders reiterate call for

vulnerability index for islands

LEADERS of the South Pacific Forum, which will now be called the Pacif ic Islands Forum, have welcomed progress

being made to develop a vulnerability

index for small island countries.

In a communique issued after their meeting in Koror, Palau, the leaders re-iter ated their call for a comprehensive vulner ability index. They said this index should encompass such factors as environmental and capacity considerations that could be broadly applied and included in the criteria for determining Least Developed Country (LDC) status, and for deciding on conces sional aid and trade treatment.

“hi this regard, the Forum com mended the positive developments in the United Nations and within the Common wealth, as well as in the region, towards the development of a comprehensive vulnera bility index,” the communique said.

“Leaders commended recent work done by the South Pacific Applied Geo-sci ence Commission (SOPAC) on developing an Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) and encouraged development part ners to support SOPAC’s ongoing work in this area..”

The Forum agreed to pursue further in the United Nations, with its development partners as well as in other fora, a deferral of any decision on graduation from LDC status until work is completed on develop ing an internationally accepted vulnerabili ty index that includes economic and social as well as environmental factors. PNS ■

The formal greeting at the airport brought back memories of tight security at Pohnpei, but this was the last of it