The MV Sea Princess....One of many cruise ships coming to Fiji as well as other Pacific Island Countries. Photo: PRINCESS CRUISES
SOURCE: PACNEWS
South Pacific Tourism Organisation plans to help boost benefits cruise liners bring, a workshop in Nadi heard. This would be through coming up with ways where there is a fare share of wealth for local communities.
The organisation’s chief executive, Ilisoni Vuidreketi, said it would be looking to national organisations in each country to have on-shore activities for cruise liners.
He gave an example where during a visit tourists from cruise liners were returning to the liner without purchasing a souvenir or item from the local community.
He said: “When they come in what do they do, where the handicraft sales are, where they could buy local food, you know areas where they could buy souvenirs.
“Whilst we are out there promoting the increase in cruise liners to the Pacific Island countries, it is important that local investment on the ground is promoted too. Because that will contribute to the local economy there and you don’t need too much of an investment to set things up.
VANUATU WAYS
“Look at Vanuatu, its quite established. When cruiser liners berth at the wharf you know they got these little facilities, selling of t-shirts, selling of local handicrafts and other souvenirs so that we can maximise these visits and get as much money from tourists.
“Rather than them walking around for half an hour and go to the ship and have lunch in the ship and the ship goes back in the evening, you know they hardly spend money on the ground.
“That can be an area which we should all be seriously thinking about and for you to just know that this is one of the projects with SPTO we’ll be promoting in the next couple of years- cruise line development.”