south-pacific.travel is the mandated inter-governmental body for the tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 sector in the South Pacific

Oceania

Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...

. It markets, promotes and develops Tourism in the South Pacific in overseas markets. http://www.south-pacific.travel The main office of the (South Pacific Tourism Prganization) is located in the capital city of Fiji, Suva.
The purpose of the SPTO us to bundle the marketing efforts of all of the South Pacific Islands into a single unit. After all, many of the South Pacific Islands don't have substantial enough budgets to promote their destinations overseas. Originally the organization was funded by the EU, as a form of development aid. However, the European Union funding ran out in 2004 and was not renewed. From that point onwards, the SPTO was forced to find other sources oof income, which resulted in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 becoming a member of the SPTO board.

Membership

south-pacific.travel members include the Pacific Island nations of the Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...

, Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

, Kiribati

Kiribati

Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...

, Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

, Nauru

Nauru

Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...

, New Caledonia

New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

, Niue

Niue

Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...

, Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

, Samoa

Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

, Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

, Tahiti

Tahiti

Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...

, Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

, Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...

 and Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...

. China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

is also a country member of SPTO.

Organization

SPTO’s supreme governing body is the Council of Tourism Ministers that meets annually. The Council's primary functions include monitoring and reviewing SPTO’s policies, strategies, work programmes and budgets. It is also responsible for securing funding for SPTO’s activities.

A Board of Directors that meets about three times annually is responsible for the general administration of SPTO’s operational and financial policies. The Board has one representative from each of the member countries and six from the Tourism Industry Members (TIMs). The Board implements the policies approved by the Council of Ministers. A Chief Executive, appointed by the Board, carries out the day-to-day administrative functions of SPTO. He is supported by a staff of 12.

Funding

SPTO is funded by

1. annual contributions from member countries,
2. donor agency funding for specific projects and
3. private sector member fees.

Research

• Regional Statistics Analysis
• NTO Bi Annual Benchmarking Survey
• Quarterly Market Intelligence Summary
• Market Intelligence Reports
• Membership Weekly Newsletter

Marketing

• Internet marketing and web development
• Overseas Representation
• Travel Show/Road Show Facilitation
• Regional Collateral Material including
• Regional Tourism Magazine
• Product Listing
• Members Forum

Membership Services

• Member Discounts
• Photo Library
• Banner Advertising
• Database Marketing
• Regional Tourism Conference

Policy, Planning and HRD Division

• Training Facilitation and Implementation
• Industry and stakeholder workshops
• Bi-annaul Regional Tourism Conference
• Regional Tourism Policy and Planning
• Technical Assistance
• Project Management/Implementation Services
• Consultancy Database
• South Pacific Tourism Investment Guide