Kiribati, one of the few countries in the world that remain Covid-19 free, is seeking to revitalize its tourism industry, rebrand the destination and capture the high-end market.
According to the Tourism Authority of Kiribati, new goals for tourism include the development of sustainable ecotourism focusing on niche products, the establishment of tourism zones in the Line and Gilbert Islands, development of Kanton in the Phoenix islands and selected islands in the Line and Gilbert group for high end tourism development, and the development of Tabuaeran (Fanning island) as a world class surfing destination.
Tourism remains a priority for the government of Kiribati, officials agreed during the Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD) Ministry Strategic Plan (MSP) retreat at the Nemat Lodge in Buaraki, North Tarawa on Jan. 30.
The retreat was organized by the MICTTD Planning and Research Division and included all Heads of Departments in the ministry and CEO’s and senior managers of state-owned enterprises under the ministry.
Kiribati has a population is just over 110,000, more than half of whom live on Tarawa atoll. It comprises 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba
In opening the retreat, Minister Tekeeua Tarati of MICTTD acknowledged the enormous task that his ministry has in working toward fulfilling the ambitions of the Kiribati 20-Year Vision.
One key driver of the economic growth envisioned by the government of Kiribati is tourism and this is reflected in the new motinnano (manifesto) which has set a range of tourism development activities that the tourism authority is required to implement.
Tourism in Kiribati is an important economic activity and contributes significantly to the country's GDP. Tourism creates more than 5,000 jobs, which is equivalent to 17 percent of Kiribati's total labor force
TAK presented its four-year implementation plan at the MSP meeting in Buariki and has commenced the structured roll out of its plans.
