“ Tourism in Tonga. Please allow me to point out what I learned in the past six months from reading and research tourism in the south pacific.
The Cook Islands tourism transformation began since the mid-90s. They now reap the vision and the fruit of their labor while Tonga still trying to figure out what is tourism.
A quick comparison. Tourism websites of Cook Islands looks professional and user friendly. Tonga tourism site appears to be put together by a group of drop out high school kids. You will observe the same result if you compare the two main government portals. If you attempt to get any assistance through the websites, you will never get a reply from Tonga but in less than 24 hours, you will hear from the Cook Islands. This is important because of “Customer Service.”
I have suggested that English should become the first language of the Tonga. That is the start. At the end, open at least three air transportation links to the global tourist economy. Then fix anything in between those two.
Customer service is an important aptitude in the hospitality industry. It is a foreign concept to Tonga but if you want to gain from tourist financial benefits you must change how you serve your customers.
Just think of a tourist wanted to visit Tonga. He did not find the information he needs at the website and that hesitation change his mind to go visit somewhere else. You never let a sale opportunity go because that is money lost. This problem occurred across the whole government enterprises regardless of what potungaue. That is from my personal experiences with the any potungaue I contacted.
It is unequivocal the Cook Islands is the best among the pacific islands in all economic indicators and tourist development is no difference (ADB.org). Note the graph below and compare Tonga to the Cook Islands.
The Tonga graph indicated they do nothing special to attract the tourists to Tonga. But note, Cook Islands, they double their tourist every decade and it does not slowing down.
The icing on the cake. Cook Islands reported surplus at the second quarter of 2015 value at T$4.7M USD; (RNZ). At the end of 2018, $37M; (Cook Islands News), 2019 first quarter $16.32M USD; (RNZ). The biggest contributing factor to the surplus was the tourism industry.
Conclusion. As Lee Kuan Yew would say, I would go to Rarotonga and learn how they implemented tourism then come home and do exactly the same. So, I will avoid the mistakes they already made. Tonga send someone to Rarotonga.
I can’t upload the graph. But you can search the word tourism here to see the data https://www*facebook*com/groups/627664284371306/ ”