The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) will host the inaugural virtual Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Tourism on World Tourism Day, 27^th September 2023.

The Forum will utilise two online platforms, functioning as webinars. The event is designed to unite young representatives from the tourism sector, allowing them to deliberate on issues and opportunities related to sustainable tourism development in the Pacific.

The forum aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Increase awareness and understanding of sustainable tourism issues in the Pacific and the impact of tourism on local communities, natural ecosystems, and cultural promotion.
• Empower youths to engage in high-level planning and discussions on sustainable tourism development.
• Provide youth recommendations for policy development and high-level decision-making in the 2023 Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit.
• Enhance networking and collaboration for youths by promoting them as essential stakeholders in developing sustainable tourism in the Pacific.

In acknowledging the importance of promoting the involvement of youth and their representatives in the development of tourism policies and destination development, SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker said sustainable tourism was essential for the long-term economic, social, and environmental well-being of the Pacific region.

“Our young people are the future of the Pacific, and they have a vital role in shaping the future of tourism. The Pacific Youth Forum provides a platform to share their ideas and insights on sustainable tourism and to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the tourism sector in the Pacific,” Mr Cocker said

The forum is open to all young people and stakeholders who wish to observe the deliberations.  The second webinar will be held on 4^th October 2023.  The outcomes from the forum will be presented to the tourism stakeholders who will be attending the second Pacific Sustainable Tourism Leadership Summit which will be held in French Polynesia in mid-October.  To register, please visit Pacific Youth Forum on Sustainable Tourism