The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) will be working with TRC Tourism to develop the Pacific
Sustainable Tourism Criteria.
“Sustainable tourism development is now more important than ever as we begin to plan tourism recovery in our region. We need to build back in a manner that accounts for sustainability, resilience,
inclusivity and prosperity for all of tourism’s diverse stakeholders,” says SPTO CEO, Christopher Cocker.
Last year the SPTO and TRC Tourism collaborated to develop the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF) which was endorsed by the Council of Tourism Ministers in October 2021.
SPTO says the PSTPF underscores the need for the establishment of enabling legislation and policies to
support and guide destinations on how to become more sustainable.
The Sustainable Tourism Criteria will draw inspiration and guidance from the globally recognised sustainable tourism criteria set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). It will also account for existing national standards and accreditation programmes such as those in the Cook Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Niue, Tonga and Solomon Islands amongst others.
“Through the development of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Criteria we can ensure that our member countries make real progress towards the aspirations of the PSTPF”, Cocker says.
The draft criteria will be completed in September, for initial consideration by SPTO’s Board of Directors and Council of Tourism Ministers when they meet in Cook Islands from October 31 – November 4 this year.