This document discusses tourism in the South Pacific region. It notes that the Pacific islands are typically small and isolated, with difficult transportation and prone to natural disasters. Most islands are microstates dependent on tourism. It provides an overview of the main island groups and countries in the region, including key facts about area, population and GDP. Major tourism destinations and arrivals are highlighted. Challenges to tourism development are outlined, including transportation, infrastructure and sustainability issues given limited resources. Fiji is discussed as a case study, noting its history, inter-island tourism and developing resort-based tropical tourism industry focused on honeymoons and diving.

1. Tourism in the South Pacific
TDM 458
International Tourism
Ara Pachmayer

3. Major Characteristics of the Pacific
Islands
 Many small, island states
 Isolation - difficult to get to, difficult to get
goods/people in and out
 European colonization - but not much long term
settlement (unlike Australia and New Zealand)
 Prone to natural disasters -
cyclones, earthquakes, climate change
 Political unrest (PNG, Solomon
Islands, Fiji, Tonga)

4. Pacific Islands
 Most are micro-states dependent on tourism
 Micronesia: Western Pacific, east of
Philippines- Northern Marianas, Marshall
Islands, Guam (US acquired from Spain in
1898)
 Melanesia: Includes (Papua) New Guinea, Fiji
New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
 Polynesia: Tahiti, American Samoa, Easter
Island. Receives relatively more tourists
 US Territories

6. Country Area
(km2)
Population GDP (per capita)
Cook Islands
Fiji
240
18,270
21,008 (2003 est)
868,531 (2003 est)
$5,000 (2001 est)
$5,500
Solomon Is. 27,540 509,190 $1,700 (2001 est)
Vanuatu 12,200 199,414 (2003 est) $2,900 (2002 est)
PNG 462,840 5,295,816 (2003 est) $2,100 (2002 est)
Tuvalu 26 11,305 $1,100
Kiribati 811 98,549 $840 (2001 est)
Niue 260 2145 $3,600
French Polynesia 3,660 262,125 (2003 est) $5,000 (2001 est)
Tonga 748 108,141 $2,200
Samoa 2,944 178,173 $5,600
New Caledonia 18,575 210,798 $14,000 (2002 est.)
Demographic Data for the South Pacific

7. Pacific islands
 French Polynesia: Tahiti (Papeete, Moorea,
Bora Bora)
 Fiji: Former British Colony, two major islands-
Vanua Levu and Viti Levu; Capital is Suva;
international gateway is Nadi both on Viti Levu;
Key markets are Australia and New Zealand;
good airline connection to west coast USA (8
hour flight from LAX to Fiji)
 Also part of Polynesia are Western Samoa,
Tonga, The Cook Islands, Easter Island (which
we studied as part of Latin America)

8. South Pacific Tourism Organization
Regional tourism organization formed by thirteen member
countries :
1. Cook Islands 2. Fiji
3. French Polynesia (Tahiti) 4. Kiribati
5. New Caledonia 6. Niue
7. Papua New Guinea 8. Samoa
9. Solomon Islands 10.Tonga
11. Tuvalu 12. Vanuatu
13. Marshall Islands
Over 80 private sector members
Formed in 1983 – to foster regional cooperation in the
development & promotion of tourism to & within the
island nations of the South Pacific

9. Tourism Arrivals -
Key Destinations 2011
 Guam - 1.16 million
 Fiji - 675,000
 Northern Mariana - 375,000 (2010)
 French Polynesia - 163,000
 Number of statistics are largely unreported
from year to year making comparisons difficult!

10. 2003 Tourist Arrivals by Source Markets

11. Developmental Issues
 Transportation problems
 Difficult to get to, difficult to get goods in/out
 Specks in the blue Pacific – islands are spread widely over
a vast area, isolation, communication
 Sustainability
 Lack of resources to supply influx of tourists
 Low population numbers
 People leave - there are few jobs and it is often easier to
find employment out of the region
 Inadequate infrastructure
 Cruise ships – lack of proper berthing facilities
 Airlines – restrictions due to length or number of
airstrips
 Poor Investment potential
 Not much money for infrastructure development
 High Leakages due to prevalence of foreign investment
and $ leaving the countries (Fiji – 1990 – 89%)

12. Other Issues
 Competition
 Similar products
 Seasonal Fluctuation

13. Case Study: Fiji
 History
 Inhabited since 2000 BC – 1st by Polynesians then
Melanesians, then indentured servants from India 1800’s
 Cannibal past (“cannibal” souvenirs are major sellers)
 Independence from GB in 1970
 Political turmoil last decade (Indo-Fijian, Fijian-Fijian)
 Inter-Island Tourism
 Some islands are developed as all-inclusive resorts
 Developing Country
 Tropical Resorts
 Honeymoon tourism, romance tourism
 Marine ecology
 Dive Tourism
 Cultural- heritage tourism; Village Tourism

14. Fiji Me
 www.fijime.com
 Diveme
 Backpackme
 Romanceme
 Marryme
 Or Remarryme
 Thrillme
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riDISdG8
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