Developing and Promoting Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism in the Coral Triangle is an initiative being implemented by WWF through funding from the Australian Government.

 

The initiative’s goal is to assist the six countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) to develop and/or accelerate a long-term approach to more sustainable nature-based tourism.

 

As part of this broader project, in late 2015 2iis produced a baseline analysis of the current state of tourism in the Coral Triangle that also outlined a roadmap for the future development of nature-based tourism as a socio-economic development pathway for the region.

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Following this, potential sites for Sustainable Tourism Development were identified in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor–Leste.

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In October 2016, 2iis was part of a joint team involving WWF, TRC Tourism and Destination Marketing Store that undertook a field visit to Kimbe Bay in West New Britain to undertake detailed site assessments and engage with a broad range of on–the ground stakeholders.

 

Since then I have been involved with detailed destination management planning and stakeholder engagement. The draft Destination Management Plans have also been used to inform an investment prospectus that aims to encourage long–term investment in sustainable tourism in the Kimbe Bay area as well as the broader Coral Triangle Region.

 

The first phase of the project is ongoing to mid–2017 with 2iis providing strategic sustainable tourism, marketing and business case development input.

 

Most recently this involved some detailed analysis of the potential Return on Investment (ROI) for Nature–based Tourism in the Coral Triangle.

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An article on the longer–term potential of this project can be found on the 2iis blog.

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