New opportunities in the agritourism sector in the Pacific

Agriculture and Tourism are two critical industries for most Pacific economies, and strengthening linkages between the two will provide new income generation and growth opportunities for value chain actors serving the broader tourism market. Linkages between agriculture and tourism increase opportunities for domestic agriculture earnings, help to develop new lucrative markets and drive product development and diversification – thus promoting sustainable economic growth. Additionally, they enable unique visitor attractions and distinctive tourism destination brands to be generated through the creative use and marketing of local products and production techniques.

Since 2014, CTA, PIPSO and key partners in the Pacific region have been highlighting the potential of tourism markets for local farmers and agricultural value chain actors.

A special focus was put on strengthening agritourism at the 1^st Pacific Week of Agriculture organised by Vanuatu Government this week. In this context, the Government of Vanuatu, the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other partners organised a workshop on 18^th October 2017  to discuss New opportunities in the agritourism sector in the Pacific, share lessons and take stock of progress made by selected countries on agritourism policy development. They also lent support for a Chef’s training session to promote food tourism in the Pacific region, encourage Pacific cuisine branding, and enhance chef’s skills in sourcing locally.

Arising from the lessons shared at the 1^st Pacific Week of Agriculture, and the progress made to date, a call is made to Pacific Ministers of Agriculture to support the following developments highlighted by various Pacific countries. Read the Recommendations.