Tourism could be Tonga’s biggest industry

Long term we need to aim for high quality tourist resorts to attract higher end tourists, because Tonga is a small country and way too many tourists can be bad for the environment. I mean right now we can be grateful for the tourists that do visit Tonga, but in regards to planning for the future - as tourism slowly develops in our country we should be heading towards luxury resorts, ecotourism and high end services and attractions to attract high end tourists. By heading in that direction we can keep tourist numbers to a level that wouldn't harm the environment, and end up harming tourist businesses and the Tongan people together. Palau is a current example of one trying to move away from quantity of tourists to less but high end tourists

I respect the sentiments of this writer, but I am unhappy at the ideas that Tonga should encourage only very rich people to visit the Kingdom. Let's be clear, that is what "high end tourists" are: the super rich 1%. It is possible to develop strategies towards environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable tourism without aiming to exclude 99% of potential visitors. "High end tourists" would be enclosed in luxury accommodation and the social benefits of their visits would go to a very small number of national and multinational companies, not to the ordinary citizens of Tonga. Small numbers of low paid jobs in the hospitality industry and more profits to a small elite, is that what Tongan people want? Nearly fifty years ago I came to Tonga first as a volunteer teacher receiving 3 pa'anga a week and living with a Tongan family in a village near my school. I have returned again and again to the Kingdom, kept friendships and tried to share realistic and truthful accounts of Tonga, its people and culture so people I may influence may know something real about the Kingdom. I am not and will never be a "high end tourist", but ordinary, thoughtful and educated people, such as I hope I am, potentially can have a far greater beneficial influence on international understanding of the lovely Friendly Islands. I love Tonga and Tonga's heritage, and I would be very unhappy if the majority of travellers were discouraged from visiting, in the search for the holy pa'anga of the "high end tourists". Leveleva 'ae malanga kae tau atu. Malo. Faka'apa'apa atu, Roger Cowell, West Yorkshire, UK.

Thanks to the writer above. Just wanted to point out I'm not arguing to discourage visitors such as yourself to the Kingdom, and as the Friendly Islands I hope all people feel welcome if and when they do visit Tonga.

I argue that far into the future, if Tonga is able to realize its potential as a tourist destination, we might need a plan of limiting visitors as we know improper or no tourism planning leads to environmental issues. It shouldn't be like how we handled the sea cucumber exports, only intervening when sea cucmber almost extinct from Tonga. We should make plans now to prevent environmental damage rather than waiting for it to be damaged and then doing something about it, which comes with using more resources than we would've if we focused on prevention.

In looking at ways of how we might limit tourist numbers (if ever we need to), without stopping people at the airport, or limiting flights into Tonga which would raise ticket prices, might be one that might instead increase business for current resort owners and any future domestic or foreign investors if some businesses transition towards catering for the high end toursts. There will no doubt also be some businesses around to cater for us ordinary people either visiting Tonga or just wanting to go spend time at a resort. Where there's demand there'll be a business looking to provide for that demand. If there are better options available then we can also look at those too. The main focus for me is how tourism industry can keep growing and how environment can be protected in the process. If environment suffers tourism will suffer too. God bless