Vanuatu Agrotourism Policy Setting Workshop, Port-Vila, Vanuatu, 25-27 May 2016

Tourism is the lifeblood of many Pacific economies, and agritourism provides a promising avenue for diversification and trade growth. In light of this, CTA and the Government of Vanuatu, together with IICA and PIPSO will organise a workshop on policy setting for improved linkages between agriculture, trade and tourism in Port-Vila, Vanuatu from 25-27 May 2016.

Promoting stronger linkages between agriculture and tourism-related markets in small island developing states such as Vanuatu is critical to achieving improved food and nutrition security, particularly in light of the growing challenge of obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Pacific region, and the critical role that tourism plays in their economies.

Linkages between agriculture, health and tourism not only potentially increase opportunities for domestic agriculture earnings, new markets and product development and therefore sustainable economic growth, but also offer opportunities to help develop visitor attractions and distinctive tourism destination brands through the creative use and marketing of local produce and production techniques, and use of local landscapes. In order to acquire these benefits, the tourism industry needs to be proactive in utilizing local, high quality, healthy and niche agricultural products in touristic sites and events.

The Worskhop will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers from Vanuatu as well as experts from the Pacific and Caribbean. Participants will include government officials from Agriculture, Trade, Health and Tourism ministries, private sector, chefs and actors from the hospitality sector, civil society and academia. International and regional partners will share their experience.

The ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) support for agribusiness in the Pacific is longstanding. CTA helped co-organise the first Pacific Agribusiness Forum on 1-3 July 2015 in Denarau, Fiji, as part of the Pacific Agritourism Week, together with the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) .The Forum recommended that the first pilot be launched in Vanuatu with two immediate actions: (i) a selected group of stakeholders involved in the development of the policy will visit the Caribbean where policies are in place and meet their Caribbean counterparts and learn from the process. This was done at the 2nd Caribbean Agribusiness in October 2015; (ii) a policy workshop will be held in Vanuatu in 2016 for the launch of the policy design process

Policy setting for improved linkages between agriculture, trade and tourism:
Strengthening the local agrifood sector and promoting healthy food in agritourism

Workshop organised by the Government of Vanuatu and CTA in collaboration with IICA and PIPSO
Port-Vila, Vanuatu, 25-27 May 2016

For more information and updates, visit: http://wp.me/P5hll-27Y