Sustainable Tourism
We are working to support an inclusive, private sector-led tourism sector in the Pacific.
Tourism plays a crucial role in the Pacific's economic development and job creation. The Pacific island countries are popular tourist destinations, boasting vibrant cultural heritages, stunning natural landscapes, and unique biodiversity.
Yet, in several countries, the tourism sector faces challenges such as unclear regulations, difficulties accessing finance to expand or grow, insufficient planning and policies, a lack of reliable data, and minimal digital innovation.
That is why PSDI is working to ensure that the economic contribution of tourism throughout the region is maximized, and that the sector is sustainable and inclusive.
To achieve this, PSDI works with both the most advanced tourism economies in the Pacific, such as Fiji, and the emerging tourism markets—such as Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, where even a modest growth in tourism can generate significant positive economic outcomes.
PSDI’s sustainable tourism work area focuses on:
- Increasing evidence-based tourism planning by working with national tourism organizations and ministries of tourism to improve tourism data collection and analysis to support the development of policies that enhance sustainability and inclusivity.
- Enhancing crisis management and resilience by supporting national tourism organizations and ministries of tourism to improve policy and planning to foster a stronger and more resilient sector.
- Enabling private sector-led tourism through work to ensure that the policy and regulatory environments in Pacific developing member countries support innovation and growth in the tourism sector.
- Supporting a gender-inclusive tourism sector by working with national tourism organizations and ministries of tourism to assess and maximize the role of women in tourism.
Sustainable Tourism at a glance
Resilient reopening framework
Strategic tourism planning
17 tourism publications
Latest News
PSDI has worked to support the Pacific developing member countries to safely reopen for tourism after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and build the resiliency of the tourism sector.
PSDI’s tourism team was in Kiribati in March 2024 to support the Tourism Authority of Kiribati with a first round of consultations to support a tourism target market analysis and the development of a new tourism destination brand strategy for the country.
The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) on 13 January 2024 launched the destination's first ever Sustainable Tourism Policy, alongside it’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan, developed with PSDI support.
More than 50 participants from the public and private sector, academia, and civil society took part in a 2-day workshop, held at the University of Papua New Guinea on 5-6 December, to validate the draft of the PSDI-supported National Tourism Policy.