Home » Tourism News » Port Vila leads innovation workshop with Pacific Tourism Organisation and Vanuatu Tourism Board
Monday, July 8, 2024
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The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in collaboration with the Vanuatu Tourism Board (VTO), hosted a key capacity building workshop in Port Vila from July 1 to July 5. The event was part of SPTO’s ongoing country visit and centred around the Pacific Tourism Data Initiative and the Digital Measurement and Benchmarking Dashboard, an integral component of the Pacific Digital Transformation Project.
Vanuatu is joining other countries such as Niue, Cook Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Kiribati, Timor-Leste and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia in the PTDI project, which aims to collect and analyse tourism data essential to setting benchmarks for marketing and sustainable tourism across the Pacific.
The session took place at the Grand Hotel in Port Vila and brought together 15 representatives from various Vanuatu institutions including the Tourism Board, Ministry of Tourism, Statistics Department, Immigration Department and Ministry of Commerce.The main objective was to strengthen capacity in digital data management and analysis in the tourism industry and equip participants with the skills to deliver meaningful research outcomes for Vanuatu.
Warren Gama, Business Intelligence Manager at Vanuatu Tourism Board, stressed the urgency of proactive, quality research and data analysis to provide key insights to both government and stakeholders on the economic and socio-cultural impacts of the tourism sector.
Mr. Gama also stressed the importance of recognising the readiness of local communities to participate in tourism activities, highlighting their economic benefits, cultural preservation and contribution to environmental conservation.
Ms. Christine Tasare, Data Processing Officer at Vanuatu Immigration Service, expressed her excitement to hone her data analysis skills and gain a better understanding of consumer behaviour, preferences and trends through advanced statistical tools.
SPTO Board Chairperson and Vanuatu Tourism Board CEO, Issachar Al, commended the organisation for its efforts towards promoting sustainable tourism in the region.
“As CEO of Vanuatu Tourism Board and Chairman of the SPTO Board, I want to provide stronger digital data and insights through the dashboard to enhance Vanuatu’s profile, jobs and tourism experiences. The dashboard will help officials and stakeholders better measure the benefits of tourism and its impact across Vanuatu’s socio-economy. Collaboration and building strong partnerships are vital to the success of tourism in Vanuatu and the region,” said Alu.
SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker reiterated the organisation’s commitment to building the capacity of researchers to utilise advanced statistical tools such as Survey Monkey, SPSS and NVIVO, with funding support from the New Zealand Government.
“The implementation of the Digital Measurement and Benchmarking Dashboard and the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy are activities of SPTO’s Research and Statistics Division. The workshop is key in achieving these activities as it fosters insightful research findings within Vanuatu’s tourism sector. Data collaboration is therefore equally important to the success of this activity,” Mr Cocker said.
The PTDI project emphasises the importance of evidence-based planning and decision-making in tourism and its key outputs include the biennial International Visitor Survey, the annual Business Confidence Index and the Community Attitudes Survey. These tools provide important insights into community perceptions and attitudes towards tourism.
