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Home > Eco-tourism makeover for Vaini's "Vai ko Felefonu"

Eco-tourism makeover for Vaini's "Vai ko Felefonu" [1]

Vaini, Tongatapu, Tonga

Monday, November 21, 2016 - 17:05.  Updated on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - 23:14.

Lord Ma'afu (centre) and his son Hon. Tevita 'Unga (third from right) with representatives from Ministry of Tourism, NGOs, town officers, and members of the Vaini community.
An Eco-tourism project, Vai ko Felefonu (Felefonu Pool) in Vaini was officially launched by the Acting Prime Minister, Lord Ma’afu and his son Hon. Tevita 'Unga last Friday, 18 November, after the area received a make over worth over TOP $70,000.

The project is a pilot site jointly funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and facilitated by the Department of Environment in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism.

Acting CEO for Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), Andrew Toimoana said the project would help to support the livelihoods of the women and youth interested in tourism activities through better utilzation of the space.

The project included the installation of signs and Information boards, a new fale for the display and selling of handicrafts, a boundary fence around the area, replanting and landscaping work, and the provision of rubbish bins.

The area has a population of 2,900 and the surrounding Vaini District has a population of 13,000 people (Tonga Census 2011) which includes the villages of Longoteme, Folaha and others. 

Lord Ma’afu (also Acting Minister for Environment) said he and the people of Vaini were proud of the achievement and thankful for the assistance from government ministries as well as GEF and UNDP.

“We are...looking forward to the learning gathered and capacities built through this ridge to reef management approach. This reflective learning will endow us with the knowledge on best practices that should be replicated in other sites in Tonga,” he said.

Vai ko Felefonu is expected to provide the people of Vaini with an increase of ecosystem goods and services to help reduce poverty, sustain livelihoods and contribute to climate resilience.

Hon. Tevita 'Unga officially cuts the ribbon to launch Vai ko Felefonu, Vaini, Tongatapu.
tourism [2]
Tonga [3]
Eco-tourism [4]
poverty [5]
UNDP [6]
GEF [7]
environment [8]
Vaini [9]
Vai ko Felefonu [10]
Tourism [11]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2016/11/21/vaini-receives-eco-tourism-project-makeover

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2016/11/21/vaini-receives-eco-tourism-project-makeover [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tourism?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/eco-tourism?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/poverty?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/undp?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/tag/gef?page=1 [8] https://matangitonga.to/tag/environment?page=1 [9] https://matangitonga.to/tag/vaini?page=1 [10] https://matangitonga.to/tag/vai-ko-felefonu?page=1 [11] https://matangitonga.to/topic/tourism?page=1