Tourism SME e-Marketing Support for Accommodation Operators in Pohnpei

Some accommodation providers in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia  were given a training on May 30, 2013 by the Fiji-based South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO). The training focused on using website-aided technology in advertising  specifically designed accommodations and tourism products per provider on the web to improve net-based search and bookings by visitors . This latest technology was provided to the FSM by SPTO, made possible through financial support from the European Union through its 10^th EDF. FSM is a SPTO member.

This training was held  to enable website management and upscale e-marketing literacy by owners/managers of hotels/resorts/motels/guest houses in the FSM. A Consultant, Len Cordinier of the WHL Group of Australia was hired by SPTO to facilitate the trainings and engage in photo-shooting the participating accommodations for website creation purposes. Each accommodation provider will have its own website linked to FSM Government’s website as well as the SPTO and other internationally recognized websites.

The training was offered via an e-marketing support program under SPTO’s Pacific Regional Tourism Capacity Building Project, and coordinated by  Mr. Tarataake Teannaki, SPTO’s Planning Sector Specialist. Mr Lennox Vuti, Manager of Planning & Research was also present at the workshop to assist with the delivery of the workshop and held talks with the FSM’s National Statistical Office in a scoping exercise to gauge the capacity of delivering timely tourist arrival figures for FSM and SPTO. It was envisaged that should any deficiency and weakness in tourist statistics production be discovered, mitigation strategies should be defined to enable timely visitor statistics production.

The FSM Department of Resources and Development (FSM R&D), under whose jurisdiction Tourism hails, handled all logistical arrangements and provided the needed partnership in ensuring achievement of  workshop’s goals.  After the workshop, which was attended by over 12 representatives from local accommodation providers and other tourism stakeholders, arranged visits to hotels/resorts commenced to photo-shoot their properties and collect  other digital contents for website creation. The websites should be ready for use by the trained accommodation operators by mid-August, 2013.

During this visit to Pohnpei, a local IT support Company, CMS, was identified to work with WHL in providing a sustainable standby IT system support  for the operators.

 The accommodation operators expressed satisfaction on delivery of this particular workshop and look forward to the project bringing about  tangible benefits to individual businesses.

The FSM R&D Tourism Officer, Mr Bermance Aldis (Deputy Assistant Secretary), commented that he saw tremendous long term benefit coming from this Initiative. 

The FSM Department of Resources and Development would like to see the project replicated for  Yap, Kosrae and Chuuk.

For more information contact Mr. Tarataake Teannaki: tteannaki@spto.org.