Vanuatu To Host First Tourism Policy Platform

Negotiations have kick-started with the Inter-American Caribbean Institute for Cooperation and Agriculture with the support of the ACP-EU (CTA) for Vanuatu to host early next year a first Tourism Policy platform. Director General for Agriculture, Howard Aru led the discussions for the proposed event earlier this month during the Caribbean-Pacific Agri-food Forum in Barbados. The initiative will be capitalizing on the platform of the strong Caribbean-Pacific Connection established with the continuous support of the CTA and the Intra-ACP Agricultural Policy Programme (Intra-ACP APP).

Talking about the Tourism Policy Platform, Vanuatu’s Ambassador to the EU, Roy Mickey Joy who is also working very closely with the International organizations said “we are going to invite a few presenters from the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean to come over to assist the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade to be able to blend in a first advance policy to support the cause of action”. “We are also planning to have a conference for the small Island States in the Indian Ocean, in Seychelles to share experience with Vanuatu as to how to contact business and improve on this undertaking,” said Joy. Talking about the importance of the undertaking between the Pacific Island nations and the Caribbean, the Vanuatu Ambassador stressed that “we have reached a time in the entire history of the ACP after 40 years of establishment; we are beginning to see a rise in terms of engagement, in terms of collaboration, in terms of support between the Pacific and the Caribbean Island States.

“We must also be thankful and give credit to the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) platform that embraces the coexistence of this Island groups. “They are part of the ACP, 15 from the Pacific Island group and we have 16 brothers and sisters from the Caribbean.” Joy described the Barbados Forum as “being of another history in the making”. “We have reached a point where there needs to be more and better engagement between the Caribbean and the Pacific in terms of Agri-business, in terms of tourism, in terms of trade, in terms investment, and in terms of private sector.

Source: http://news.pngfacts.com/2015/11/vanuatu-to-host-first-tourism-policy.html