On 20 September 2021, POETCom facilitated the fourth episode of the Agritourism Experiences Webinar series, in which an exciting panel of enthusiast agritourism practitioners discussed the topic Touring Organic – Sprouting New Hospitality in Oceania Pasifika.

The panel discussion explored how a regional organic tourism and hospitality standard could contribute to boosting agritourism development in the Pacific region. The panel brought together varied expertise and perspectives on this important topic.

An example of a regional framework was provided by Jim Pierce, POETCom Coordinator, who explained the added value of the Pacific Organic Tourism and Hospitality Standard (POTHS).  The POTHS has been developed by POETCom through the assistance of the European Union as an addition to the Pacific Organic Standard (POS).

Mihee Kang, from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) emphasied the importance of global standards that created space for regional differences and uniqueness.

At national level, our members, Harley Sofield from Fiji and Votausi L. Mackenzie-Reur from Vanuatu, shared their success stories of family businesses within the agritourism space: Bulaccino Farm and Lapita Café respectively.

Cherise Addinsall from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), focused on the importance of political will in creating a conducive environment for agritourism, sharing a Vanuatu case study as good practice.

The talanoa webinar series has been developed in close collaboration and in partnership with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative 2 (PARDI) (Phase2).

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a new challenge to the vulnerable but resilient ecosystems and communities in the Pacific. The challenge created spaces for new opportunities to reflect, restructure and transform the economy, leveraging existing strengths and resources. At national and regional level, agritourism plays an essential role in promoting sustainable tourism while building communities’ resilience in addressing the need to diversify their livelihoods.

Within this context, organic practices actively and intuitively act to protect and enhance environmental and social justice as the basis for stimulating the overall performance of the agritourism sector.

It was a rich and insightful discussion, which will contribute to informing the development of the agritourism sector in our region.

If you have missed this event, here is the livestream link: https://www.facebook.com/organicpasifika/videos/416289283215451.