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 | USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra, (right) and SPTO Chief Executive Officer, Ilisoni Vuidreketi, signing the Memorandum of Understanding |
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The University of the South Pacific and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to work together on matters of common concern, furthering their joint interest in ensuring tourism as a genuine tool for sustainable, social and economic development for the people of the Pacific.
The MOU is specifically aimed at creating stronger ties with the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Management (USP-STHM) in the Faculty of Business and Economics and the SPTO, for better imparting of knowledge on the tourism sector in the region.
The signing took place in Suva on Friday 2 August, 2013, by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chandra and Chief Executive Officer of SPTO, Mr Ilisoni Vuidreketi.
Professor Chandra indicated that the University was glad to be signing the MOU as it will foster collaboration between the two CROP organisations, and it will benefit both the tourism industry as well as tourism-related education and research in the region.
He said the University through its School of Tourism, Hospitality and Management (STHM) has been training professionals in the tourism field for many years, and has contributed to key developments in the tourism industry.
Professor Chandra said the efforts of USP and SPTO are very much parallel whereby both are working towards a much more robust tourism sector for the entire Pacific.
Mr Vuidreketi said the SPTO was delighted to formally partner with the University, adding that, “tourism is a fast growing industry in the region, and working with the University exemplifies our commitment to contributing in a greater way to the sustainable development and growth of this important sector”.
According to Mr Vuidreketi, “the MOU will give us the opportunity to jointly address regional tourism issues more effectively, especially in the area of capacity building for public and private sector tourism stakeholders”.
He said this was another step towards fulfilling SPTO’s mission to “market and develop tourism in the South Pacific”, and in turn achieving its goals of improving air and sea access to islands, enhancing the brand “South Pacific” and developing capacity for sustainable tourism.
He said there needs to be an increase in awareness of the South Pacific as a tourist destination and the SPTO is committed to working with the University as well as Pacific governments, the private sector and the donor community in creating this awareness. Both SPTO and USP’s ultimate goal is to contribute meaningfully to the livelihoods of Pacific Island communities through tourism.
SPTO serves USP member countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. It also serves French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Timor Leste.
Head of the STHM, Professor David Harrison said, “The MOU with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) by USP, especially involving the STHM is a welcome recognition of the close bonds that have come to exist with the two organisations”.
He said USP has been historically involved with the SPTO. In the mid-1990s, when the European Union first funded SPTO’s predecessor, the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP), it also funded the beginnings of tourism studies at USP. Since then, both organisations have substantially changed.
He said since then, the two have worked together, with SPTO promoting tourism throughout the region, which includes most of USP’s member countries, and STHM educating and training students from the region, thus making an increasingly important contribution to meeting the employment needs of middle management in tourism, especially in hotels and other parts of the service sector.
“The MOU is a formal reflection of the close informal ties that have long existed between STHM and SPTO, and which will provide the basis of joint efforts to advance the cause of sustainable tourism development in the region,” Professor Harrison added.
Cooperation between STHM and SPTO is already underway, with the STHM and SPTO collaboratively running a Regional Tourism Executive Training Programme in Nadi, from 9th to 14th September, aimed at middle management from government and private sectors across the region.
The Faculty will work together with SPTO on the following:
• Advice and information exchange on tourism in the region;
• Collaboration on student internships and placements; and
• Collaboration on research and capacity building through workshops and conferences
It is hoped that the MOU will be one of many examples of collaboration between the University and the SPTO, both looking forward to working together in the future.
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