Industry consultation cancelled as Cabinet shifts Tourism [1]
Tuesday, May 19, 2015 - 23:33. Updated on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 00:04.
In a surprise announcement today Tonga's government revealed that it is shifting its Tourism Division away from the Ministry of Labour, Commerce, and Tourism and placing it under the Ministry of Infrastructure from June 1.
The statement said that Cabinet had approved the transfer last Friday 15 May 2015, before the Prime Minister left for the PALM7 meeting in Japan.
The transfer makes Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu the new Minister of Tourism and Ringo Fa‘oliu the new CEO of Tourism, in addition to continuing the other services under the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The Tourism Division will continue to operate from its current offices.
“The outgoing Minister of Tourism, Hon. Dr. Pohiva Tu‘i‘onetoa, and the incoming Minister, Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu, will be working together for a smooth transition before 1 June,” said the statement.
Consultation cancelled
Responding to the announcement today, the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Tourism cancelled this week's two-day "Tourism Industry Day” consultation with the industry that was scheduled for May 21-22 at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre. The theme for the programme was "Tourism is Everyone's Business".
The acting CEO, Distaquaine Tu'ihalamaka said that the focus of the Tourism Industry Day was going to be on stocktaking to see what was going on in the industry since they took up tourism and to consult the industry in building up a plan for the next financial year.
“But we were told that they were taking Tourism and had got a new plan. We have not seen it.
“It was disappointing to cancel the Tourism Industry Day after a lot of work, but we didn't want to ask the industry to make a contribution that could not be incorporated into the plan for next year,” she said.
The cancelled programme included presentations by the CEO of the MCTL and representatives of the Tourism and Trade Division. The Tonga Tourism Authority was to present its Marketing Plan. The Tonga Development Bank was to make a presentation on the Tourism Fund, and the Tonga Ports Authority on the Cruise Day operation, with speakers from Fiji Airways, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, and Real Tonga Airline. On Friday the Tonga Quality Mark was to be launched along with presentations from the outlying islands of Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua, and sessions from inbound tour operators and the handicraft program. The aim of the programme was to discuss ways of moving the industry forward.
“We were surprised when we got the announcement yesterday afternoon. We were told that the Tourism and Trade Division Office would be taken over by Infrastructure,” she said. “We are still trying to digest what is happening.”
Meanwhile, the staff of the Tonga Tourism Authority did not want to comment on the future of their Marketing Plan after their presentation was cancelled.