Sustainable Tourism Development Policy Framework.

The Sustainable Tourism Development Policy Framework is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The overall purposes of this Policy Framework are to achieve economic growth, empower local people and promote and develop tourism in an economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable manner. This Policy Framework sets forth sustainable tourism goals as: (i) ensure strong governance, leadership and management, (ii) perpetuate the strong essence of the Cook Islands culture, (iii) develop a strong and sustainable workforce and provide career pathways and employment opportunities for the Cook Islands people, (iv) ensure the protection of the pristine environment through sustainable practices, (v) adopt a yield driven approach to tourism development for optimising sustainable economic outcomes, (vi) adopt marketing and destination development strategies that promote the unique products and experiences of the Cook Islands in a way that drives sustainable outcomes, and (vii) ensure the health, safety and security of all visitors.
Tourism sector will be developed to optimize economic outcomes, increase employment opportunities, and support income generation. In order to create sustained benefits for the local population, closer partnership between tourism and community will be ensured. Community focused environmental improvement programs will be developed to support tourism’s contribution to the environment. The role of women will be increased in tourism sector. Women will be well represented among entrepreneurs, managers and business owners within the sector. Furthermore, the percentage of tourism businesses owned or managed by women will be increased. Industrial skills and community's capacity will be developed in tourism and related sectors. Linkages between tourism and local agriculture and handicrafts will be enhanced to generate benefits for local community and women. Employment data will be developed to support better decision making through survey.
Tourism sector will be developed in an environmentally sustainable manner for healthy and safe environment. Environmental challenges will be addressed to minimize degradation due to tourism and industrial activities and to sustain environmental quality. Environmental Impact Assessment will be conducted to all new tourism products that have the potential to disrupt or damage the environment. Awareness will be raised on environmental protection and sustainability to minimize waste generated by tourism related activities. Water conservation will be enhanced for current and future water availability through water use reduction and education. Economic development will be enhanced in the Outer islands within the constraints of local labour, infrastructure and environmental resources. Local food production will be increased to contribute to the tourism development. Marketing strategies will be developed to increase demand for Cook Island tourism.
Climate change adaptation and mitigation will be ensured in tourism sector. Measures will be taken to increase resilience to sea level rise and cyclone damage. Disaster risk reduction and management will be improved through the creation of a more coordinated emergency response system. Disaster response marketing strategies will be developed with industry and other stakeholders to enable a fast response to devastating events.