Kia Orana

What is 'Kia Orana'?

Kia Orana is the essence of the Cook Islands Maori people and their culture. Just two words, Kia Orana, share our personality, our way of life and our aspirations for the future.

The phrase literally means may you live long, or may you have a long and fulfilling life. Saying Kia Orana means more than hello. Kia Orana is meant as a blessing or a wish for your fortune.

We want to help our visitors to the Cook Islands to learn how to live a long and fulfilling life the way we do. We want them to share in helping us make our homes happy and our lives long and fulfilling too.

Kia orana is the spirit of our way of life in the Cook Islands and we want to ensure the Kia Orana Spirit is forever alive in our community and in our industry.

KIA ORANA VALUES

The Kia Orana Values Project is an initiative of the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation to align our tourism industry with the core values of o ur Cook Islands people. Our values are based on a our culture and traditions, while reflecting our unique and modern way of life.

These values are a platform promoting sustainable tourism in the community. They guide and inform our collective approach to the industry and inform our aspirations for the continued development of tourism. The values are taught in our schools and training programmes. They will be encouraged through community and industry awards and be promoted through local media.

In time both our tourism industry and the wider community will live and breathe our shared Kia Orana Values and our visitors will have consistent, authentic and positive experiences.

Contact CI Tourism Head Office if you wish to organise a Kia Orana Values Presentation for you, your staff or students. +682 29435 or email: [email protected]

Kia Orana Values
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