By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THREE Western Micronesian chief executives on Thursday signed a 16-page communiqué calling for closer collaboration with the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
PATA’s Micronesian chapter has an institutional relation with PATA International, “the leader of and authority on Pacific Asia travel and tourism.”
According to CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Guam Gov. Felix Camacho and Palau President Tommy Remengesau, there is a need to
• develop a regional tourism program involving the rest of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands;
• have the PATA Micronesia chapter be the vehicle for regional marketing initiatives;
• allocate funding to support a regional awareness campaign;
• procure the services of a public relations agency to promote the region; and
• support current funding of www.magnificentmicronesia.com.
PATA’s Micronesian chapter is composed of national and state visitor bureaus. It meets on a quarterly basis in Micronesia to discuss, plan and implement regional marketing and educational programs for the benefit of the region.
The Regional Tourism Council of the Western Micronesia Chief Executives Summit, which met here last week, stated that there is a need to allocate funding for regional awareness campaigns, as the tourism industry is the region’s largest non-government employment sector.
The council proposes two options for fund allocation: a $2 allocation per capita allows for some $800,000 for a three-year program paid out in three installments over an agreed time schedule, while $1 per capita allows for an estimate of $400,000 for the same period of time.
The council also requested the FSM and Marshalls presidents to provide funding under one of these two allocation options to maximize regional marketing effectiveness.
According to the council, public relations is important to all marketing efforts in the region.
“Therefore, the council expressed its desire to procure a professional PR agency to develop regional awareness and an image message for appropriate use,” the Western chief executives’ communiqué stated.