Our PALs (Partnerships, Alliances and Linkages)

PALs from across the Pacific in Samoa

We invest in, or support, tourism products with a strong corporate social responsibility agenda. In many countries, these products illustrate how tourism can make a contribution to the Millennium Development Goals , following the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC):  Endorsed by the United Nations, this not-for-profit Washington DC based Council promotes the widespread adoption of global sustainable tourism standards to ensure the tourism industry continues to drive cultural and biodiversity conservation and delivers benefits to host communities. It is the only global multi-stakeholder non-governmental organization, with sustainability and tourism as its core mission. The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria are the minimum requirements that any tourism business should reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation in developing economic regions as well as economically poor regions of advanced economies. Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd founder Steve Noakes serves on the Board of the GSTC.

World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group)   Provides guidance to the WCPA, IUCN and others, on the relationships between tourism and protected areas. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network.

World Committee on Tourism Ethics: A subsidiary organ of the UNWTO General Assembly, the Committee reports directly to the Assembly. The tasks assigned to the Committee are threefold: (a) Promotion and dissemination of the Global Code of Ethics; (b) Evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of the Code of Ethics; and (c) Conciliation for the settlement of differences concerning the application or interpretation of the Code. Steve Noakes served on WCTE from 2007 – 2011.

Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development: We are an Australian Partner Organisaton with the AusAID funded Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) capacity building program. We have supported 12 month volunteer placements in Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Mongolia and will continue this initiative into other Asia Pacific destinations.

Oceania Sustainable Tourism Alliance (OSTA): Along with the Foundation for the People of the Pacific International (FSPI), Counterpart International, Victoria University (Melbourne), Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd is a founding partner of the OSTA, based in Suva, Fiji. The key objective of the OSTA is to encourage Community-benefit tourism – resulting in Reducing Poverty, Stimulating Economic Growth, Promoting Natural Resource Stewardship, Conserving Biodiversity and adapting to climate change through Regional & Global Partnerships and Collaborative Actions. A number of Central and South Pacific countries continue to face a difficult future due to uneven economic progress making it challenging to cope with ethnic and social tensions and population growth. Most of the island countries have limited resources, and therefore limited capacity to deal with these pressures. Governance can be poor. Imported national institutions can find it difficult to deal with traditional practices, especially in relation to authority structures, land ownership and land use. Local loyalties often take priority over national interests and challenge principles. Tourism is already a major contributor to the economies of the Pacific Islands – some 50% of GDP for the Cook Islands and Palau, and high in numerous other destinations such as Fiji and Vanuatu. Sustainable tourism has significant potential to contribute more to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals in the Pacific context – a key guiding principle of the OSTA.

SAVE Travel Alliance: As the Asia Pacific focal point for the SAVE Travel Alliance, Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd establishes and enable linkages between responsible travelers and destinations interested in pursuing sustainable growth. SAVE stands for Scientific, Academic, Volunteer and Educational Travel. The SAVE market includes travelers who engage in activities which can create significant positive contributions to the sustainability of a destination. Originating out of The George Washington University, USA, it is a network connecting global travel destination to Scientific, Academic, Volunteer and Education markets.

Ecolodges Indonesia:

Sumatra rhino, a highly endangered species

Currently owns/operates five ecolodges on the islands of Bali, Sumatra, Borneo and Flores. Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd founders, Steve & Suzanne Noakes are shareholders and Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of this Indonesian company.

Save Indonesian Endangered Species: SIES supports conservation of National Parks, protected areas and other wild places of Indonesia by working with communities and supporting local Indonesian initiatives in long term development projects.

RACI: A non-profit organization dedicated to delivering sustainable solutions for sustainable livelihoods, food security initiatives and youth empowerment initiatives in Indonesia.

Solimar Pacific Asia: We are an affiliate of the Washington DC based Solimar International, a sustainable tourism consulting and marketing firm