THE University of the South Pacific and the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly establish and operationalise the Pacific Tourism Research Institute (PTRI).
This strategic partnership is an attempt to elevate tourism research, data systems, and human resource development across the region.
The PTRI will serve as a regional hub for knowledge generation, capacity building, and innovation, ensuring that tourism development is sustainable, culturally grounded, and community driven.
The USP and SPTO will collaborate across a broad spectrum of strategic initiatives in order to inform policy and practice, strengthen tourism data systems for more robust analysis and decision-making, and target capacity building to cultivate the next generation of Pacific tourism professionals.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, SPTO Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cocker said the PTRI was the product of the collaborative spirit nurtured through the Pacific Tourism Research Cooperation Framework funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.