Former Tourism Fiji chief executive, Josefa Tuamoto has been appointed to the role of Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO.

(TRAVPR.COM) SOLOMON ISLANDS - In what represents a major initiative by the Solomon Islands government, and by extension a boost for its national tourist office and local tourism industry, former Tourism Fiji chief executive, Josefa Tuamoto has been appointed to the role of Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO with immediate effect.

Announcing the appointment in Honiara today Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau board chairman, Mr Moses Tepai called on the local tourism industry to throw its full support behind the new CEO as he begins the process of creating and implementing the strategies intended to push tourism into place as the prime source of foreign exchange earnings within the next 10 years.

“This appointment represents a major achievement for this country’s tourism aspirations and is intended to play a key role in the Solomon Islands increasing its annual international visitor  intake,” Mr Tepai said.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Jo’s calibre on board.

“Jo is held in very high regard on the international tourism stage, his reputation and the huge success he achieved for Fiji’s tourism precedes him.

“This is especially the case in those visitor source markets we see as being critical to the future growth of our tourism industry and in particular Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

“Our desire is to see Solomon Islands tourism becoming the prime source of our country’s foreign exchange earnings with the next 10 years.

“We are confident Jo’s leadership and expertise will play a critical role in achieving that goal and managing the strategies intended to take the future of our tourism industry to a whole new level.

“We are delighted and very excited with his decision to join the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau.”

While with Tourism Fiji Mr Tuamoto managed the dual CEO and director of marketing portfolios for the national tourist office.

His overseas experience with the national tourist office included a three year stint as Regional Director Australia based in Sydney and three years as Regional Director – The Americas based in Los Angeles, California, prior to his appointment as CEO in 2008.

On the marketing front, Mr Tuamoto was the catalyst and took management responsibility for the international repositioning of Fiji tourism under the highly successful and very high profile ‘Fiji Me’ branding.

Mr Tuamoto’s commercial experience includes a Director of Commercial Operations role with the iconic Fiji-based Blue Lagoon Cruises.

Since leaving Tourism Fiji Mr Tuamoto has been operating as a senior consultant to   government bodies and major private sector organisations in several countries across the South Pacific region.

A graduate with BSc and GCEd honours from the University of the South Pacific, Mr Tuamoto holds an MBA from the University of Wales and has also completed management studies at HarvardBusinessSchool, WhartonBusinessSchool and the University of Hawaii.

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