Opening the 21st SPTO Council of Tourism Ministers and the board of directors meeting at the Warwick Le Lagon Hotel in Port Vila last Thursday, Kalosil emphasized the importance of promoting and facilitating sustainable tourism development in member countries.
He applauded SPTO for its role in helping develop sustainable tourism in the region.
SPTO board chairman Sakopo Lolohea said tourism arrivals in the region recorded a 7.5 percent growth last year, compared to a 3.5 percent decrease in 2009.
Lolohea said during the past five years, visitor numbers increased by 12 percent, which was a positive reflection of the initiatives taken by member countries at national level in addition to SPTO’s contribution at regional level.
“Obviously, some countries performed better than others during this period, a signal to all of us, of the importance of doing things right in promoting and developing our tourism sectors,” he said.
“This is something, which I believe, each one of us, especially our smaller members, have been looking forward to hearing and sharing during our meeting here, especially the experiences on best tourism practices and policies that have worked well in each country.”
