Rarotonga, Cook Islands – Wednesday 31 July 2024

The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CIT) is set to enhance its research and insights initiatives to support responsible tourism development. Recognizing the need for continuous data to guide effective strategies, CIT will look to integrate an 'always on' approach alongside its existing periodic deep dive surveys. This comprehensive approach will provide timely and actionable insights into the tourism landscape.

Supported by the Pacific Tourism Data Initiative (PTDI) and funded by the Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO), this initiative includes the International Visitor Survey, Business Confidence Index, and Community Attitudes Towards Tourism surveys. Additionally, CIT will launch a quarterly accommodation survey to collect and aggregate performance and sustainability data.

Brad Kirner, Director of Destination Development, emphasised the importance of this enhanced approach: “Better data and insights are crucial for guiding our collective approach to responsible tourism. By improving our research efforts with continuous monitoring, we can set baselines, track our progress, and compare our performance against our Pacific neighbours. This initiative will ensure we make informed decisions that benefit our community and environment.”

These increased efforts will contribute to the SPTO-developed Pacific Sustainable Tourism Dashboard, enabling the Cook Islands to align its responsible tourism practices with regional standards and improve overall tourism management.

Existing research reports are available on our corporate website.

For media inquiries, please contact: Brad Kirner, Director of Destination Development at Cook Islands Tourism Corporation [email protected]