Destination Kiribati

The island nation of Kiribati, comprising 33 atolls straddles the equator stretching 3235 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. With traditions and culture thriving and visitors regarded as a curiosity, it is the Pacific of yesteryear.

South Tarawa is the urban hub of the nation with a large concentration of the population crammed into rows of houses squeezed together.

Land is scarce here, the lagoon suffering under the weight of people, but this is where government and commercial activity is focused, where the hustle and bustle of Kiribati prevails.

Venture away from south Tarawa and you escape this commotion, finding the unspoilt tranquillity of north Tarawa. To visit only south Tarawa is to miss the gentler side of Kiribati, the Kiribati where time flows with the moon and tides.

The announcement by His Excellency, Te Beretitenti, Taneti Maamau in September 2021 to open Kiribati’s borders prompted the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) to begin rolling out its Tourism Restart Program in Kiritimati Island.

A key component to the Kiribati Restart Program is the Kiribati Tourism & Hospitality Protocols for the New Normal, a set of safety protocols designed to assist tourism business operators to protect their guests and staff against the threat of COVID-19 when borders reopened.

The training was delivered on the 20th and 21st of October last year at the Inn Pacific Motel, Kiritimati and was attended by accommodation providers from around the island.

In his official address, the Minister for Line & Phoenix Islands Development (MLPID) Honorable Mikarite Temari urged the tourism operators to take the training seriously. He encouraged participants to capture as much as possible from these safety protocols.

Since then, the country has relaxed entry requirments.

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) welcomed the recent announcement by the Government of Kiribati, that all international travel to and from Kiribati will return to normal on the 1st of August, 2022.

The official announcement also confirmed the Government of Kiribati has reduced the compulsory in-country quarantine days for all travellers from seven (7) to three (3) days.

In addition, the Government of Kiribati confirmed the country’s COVID-19 Alert Level has been reduced from 3b to 3c and it has relaxed the SOP guidelines currently being practised as part of Kiribati’s preventive measures against COVID-19.

SPTO CEO Christopher Cocker welcomed the announcement of Kiribati opening its borders to international travel. Adding that reopening of borders in the Pacific for tourists is an indication that tourism in the Pacific is recovering”.

“SPTO is currently in process of implementing its NZMFAT funded digital transformation project for tourism recovery in the Pacific, not only transforming destination marketing, sustainable planning and development but for tourism data and statistical information as well,” Mr Cocker said. Mr Cocker mentioned that following earlier announcements, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will open their borders to international travel on July 1st. Adding they join Fiji, Tahiti, and PNG which are now open to tourists.