DEAR Editor,
According to Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) news bulletin last week a regional tourism body recently signed an agreement with the Melanesian Spearhead Group and is looking forward to the development of tourism in Melanesia.
This is what he bulletin was quoted as saying:
“The South Pacific Tourism Organisation is expected to work with the grouping of Melanesian countries in areas like planning, policy, information sharing, product development and marketing.
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed in Port Vila also includes collaboration with airlines on products, capacity building and training.
“The tourism body’s CEO Chris Cocker has highlighted the great potential for Solomon Islands and PNG in the area of cruise and niche tourism.
“He’s also pointed to the example of Fiji which has 40 percent of the Pacific’s regional market share.
“He said tourism involved the Pacific’s greatest assets – people, environment and culture.
“The MSG said information sharing means airlines should not use commercial viability as an excuse not to connect.”
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
