TUVALU: Tuvalu Conducts Visitor Air Survey

The Tuvalu Department of Tourism will undertake a visitor air survey on the island following a two-day training to train local enumerators on how to gather the information.

The training is being carried out by Acorn Tourism Consultants of the United Kingdom in the framework of the European Union Pacific Regional Tourism Capacity Building Programme (PRTCBP) implemented in partnership with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO).

SPTO’s Jennifer Butukoro assited the consultants to engage the enumerators’ team to conduct a pilot study in testing the questionnaire, survey designs and logistics at the International Departure Lounge.

The enumerators’ will be provided with the technology (iPads) which house applications for inputting and synchronizing data once it has been verified.

SPTO Chief Executive Ilisoni Vuidreketi stated that this exercise will give Tuvalu access to a survey report that will address information on tourist’s demographic profile, expenditure and assessment of the facilities and services provided by the destination and their comments on how to improve tourism in the destination.

“The PRTCBP has conducted two visitor air survey training and information gathering in the Republic of Marshall Islands and Tuvalu this year. We have also assisted the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Palau with their visitor air surveys”, he said.

“The practical experience acquired from such surveys is a national capacity building initiative that will go a long way into addressing capacity issues and emphasizing the need for adoption of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation standards in classification, concepts and definition”, he added