The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) have renewed   the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for strengthening collaboration in promoting the sustainable development of tourism in the Pacific region.

The MOU, signed at the 52^nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in November 2023 in Rarotonga, aims to ensure that both agencies complement each other’s work in sustainable tourism development through strategic partnerships and inter-sectoral collaboration, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific and the respective sectoral priorities.

In actioning the MOU, SPTO and SPREP are collaborating on several projects, such as the:

1. Guide for Environmental Auditing of Tourism Accommodation in the Pacific Islands: A user-friendly tool to empower stakeholders in the tourism sector to become custodians of environmental stewardship.
2. Pacific Marine Tourism Guidelines: A practical guide for Pacific Island countries and Territories and their marine tourism operators to reduce tourism’s ecological footprint and protect marine biodiversity.
3. Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP): A dedicated standards and certification programme for phasing out single-use plastics and identifying alternative products targeting tourism businesses.

Climate Services for Tourism: A project highlighting the importance of climate information services in tourism destination development and management The Sustainable Tourism Regional Consultation, held in Nadi, Fiji from May 1-2, 2024, brought together key tourism stakeholders from around the region to discuss updates and progress on these projects.

The partnership between SPTO and SPREP is crucial as member countries recognise the importance of sustainable development of tourism in the region through targeted support that will set the region on a path to achieving Healthy Islands and Oceans.

ENDS