Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Joe Natuman has issued an open invitation to Chinese investors to invest in Vanuatu’s tourism and infrastructure sectors.
Speaking at the First World Conference on Tourism for Development in Beijing, China yesterday, Mr Natuman emphasised the need for improvement in what Vanuatu already had in terms of tourism and infrastructure.
When expanding on the overview of Vanuatu’s performance in these two sectors, Mr Natuman said people in Vanuatu are mostly living in a subsistence economy in a least developed country scenario, and that sustainable development is not just a policy direction by the government in its 2015-2030 sustainable development plan.
He added they are characteristics of everyday living where families are always concerned about tomorrow – “a meaningful concern for tomorrow is not just a pre-requisite but is a necessary condition that must be met to ensure that we do not deprive the right of future generations to also benefit from our plentiful world of today”. Therefore, he said sustainable tourism development and particularly one which respects the environment and culture, benefits all its people and makes provisions for future generations is a must.
Mr Natuman said in Vanuatu the connection between the people, culture and the natural environment is the foundation for tourism development because without such linkages the long-term sustainability of the process of development will be meaningless and not achievable. The multi-sectoral nature of tourism development therefore requires a partnership approach to its development and one that is holistic in nature because we believe tourism is everybody’s business.
He told delegates the smiles people in Vanuatu wear every day are evidence of traditional joy and happiness that attracts tourists to Vanuatu.
“Happiness in my country is a qualitative and subjective phenomena but nevertheless a very important characteristic of my people who are very genuine in their actions and meaningful in their intentions to make sure that all visitors to our shores are welcomed with warmth that can only be received in the happiest place on planet earth.”
The Chinese business people at the conference were also told that one other factor contributing to the growth in tourism is Vanuatu’s peaceful and gentle nature. “We promote our Melanesian traditional customs and cultures for the world to see, and tourism itself helps us to revive and promote our cultural ceremonies and handicrafts. We settle our differences and disputes through our peaceful custom reconciliation ceremonies. Our dispute settlements are mediated by our chiefs in our chiefly nakamal or meeting houses. Vanuatu is known regionally for promoting peace through our peaceful cultural ways”, said Mr Natuman.
He told the conference that a total of 360,000 tourists particularly from our traditional markets in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, come to Vanuatu last year which is a significant achievement for a country with 271, 000 people.
He said these tourists come in, meet and mingle with the people, create friendship, thus contributing to building peace in the region. “Some of these tourists return to our shores two or three times. Some even come back to invest and live with us,” the conference heard.
Due to the multi-sectoral nature of tourism development the support and assistance of the international community to developing country situations is also a must, especially building on success stories of the past in different countries and the importance of adopting practices that have withstand the changes of times.
The deputy prime minister used the opportunity to urge delegates not to adopt an academic approach to their consideration of potential support and assistance to developing country situations but to expand opportunities and ensuring a sustainable tourism development and especially adopting partnership strategies that can withstand the changes of times and guarantees that future generations benefits from what we have today.
He concluded by urging delegates to move with their heart because “it is their heart that will ensure sustainable tourism development today for tomorrow”.