Travel Industry News at TravelNewsAsia.com since 1997
Thu, 23 September 2021

Solomon Islands Tourism Industry in Mourning as Jo Tuamoto Passes Away

The close-knit Solomon Islands tourism industry is in mourning following the death of Tourism Solomons CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto who passed away in Suva, Fiji, on Tuesday, 21 September.

Mr Tuamoto had recently returned to Fiji to be close to family while he recuperated following a recent bout of ill health.

Chris Hapa, Tourism Solomons board chairman, said the national tourist office team was devastated by the loss of their beloved ‘Boso’ who has been in the CEO role since joining the then Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau in 2013.

Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto passed away in Suva, Fiji, on Tuesday, 21 September 2021. R.I.P. Click to enlarge.

“There can be no doubt Jo has had a massive impact on the Solomon Islands tourism industry in his time here,” Mr Hapa said. “We were very fortunate when he accepted an offer to join us in 2013, his reputation on the regional tourism scene, and particularly the impact he achieved for the Fiji tourism sector on a world-wide basis while CEO of Tourism Fiji, more than preceded him. Jo leaves a huge legacy. In his time with us, we have seen the Solomon Islands tourism sector grow exponentially. Tourism today is a major contributor to the national economy, in the pre-COVID19 pandemic period we saw international visitation increase by close on 10 per cent on a year-on-year basis and Jo’s guidance in the creation of ongoing international marketing campaigns has seen our tiny country now recognised as a major player on the regional tourism stage.”

One of Mr Tuamoto’s more high-profile achievements for the national tourist office came in 2018 when he was the driving force behind the move to rebrand the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau to Tourism Solomons.

“That move and the concurrent launch of the extremely well-received and highly distinctive ‘Solomons Is.’ branding, truly positioned us as a force to be reckoned with on the international tourism stage. There can be no ifs or buts about it, Jo will be sorely missed by everyone who has had the opportunity to work with him in the Solomon Islands - and beyond - in the last eight years. We shall miss his intelligence, his strong leadership and statesman-like qualities just as much as we will miss him for his humour, kindness and true humility. Our sincerest condolences go out to his wife, Unaisi, his four children and grandchild,” added Hapa.

As former CEO of Tourism Fiji, Mr Tuamoto’s vast overseas experience with the Fijian national tourist office included stints as Regional Director for both Australia and The Americas prior to his appointment to the dual CEO and international marketing director roles in 2008.

While with Tourism Fiji Mr Tuamoto was the catalyst and took personal management responsibility for the international repositioning of Fiji’s international tourism profile under the highly successful ‘Fiji Me’ branding.

He replicated that success on behalf of the Solomon Islands in mid-2018 as the driving force behind the move to rebrand Tourism Solomons and launch the extremely well-received and highly distinctive ‘Solomons Is.’ branding.

Mr Tuamoto’s activity on the regional tourism landscape includes the role of deputy chair for the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

In May 2019, he achieved even stronger recognition for the Solomon Islands when he was invited to join the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) executive board.

On the commercial front, his experience included Director of Commercial Operations and a managing director role with the iconic Fiji-based Blue Lagoon Cruises.

He has also acted as a senior consultant to government bodies and major private sector organisations in several countries across the South Pacific region.

This included playing a pivotal marketing role in the 2012 successful re-election campaign on then Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.

A graduate in mathematics and physics from the University of the South Pacific, Mr Tuamoto held an MBA from the University of Wales in Cardiff.

He also completed management studies at Harvard Business School in Massachusetts, the Wharton Business School in Pennsylvania, and the University of Hawaii.

See latest Travel Industry News, Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Solomon Islands, Tuamoto, Fiji.

Headlines: Scoot Signs E190-E2 Pool Program Services Agreement with Embraer  Air Canada Orders 18 Boeing 787-10s; Cancels Order for Two 777 Freighters  Alton Aviation Publishes 2023 - 2033 Global MRO Demand Forecast  Airbus Appoints Christian Scherer as Commercial Aircraft CEO  Amadeus Working with Accenture and Microsoft on New AI-Powered Travel Assistant  IndiGo Launches Fights Between Delhi and Almaty, Kazakhstan  Widerøe Appoints APG as Online GSA in United Kingdom  CapitaLand Ascott Trust Completes Sale of Four Serviced Residences in France  Air Astana Receives Five-Star Rating from APEX  United Airlines Appoints Michael Leskinen as CFO and EVP  Rosewood to Rebrand Three Lodges in New Zealand  New Dual-Branded Hotel in Kuala Lumpur Appoints Senior Management Team  Bonza to Launch Sunshine Coast - Darwin, Gold Coast - Darwin and Melbourne - Alice Springs  IHG Opens First avid Hotel in New York, USA  Austria to Order Embraer C-390 Millennium Multi-Mission Aircraft  Maldivian Orders Two ATR 42-600 Turboprop Aircraft  IndiGo Adds San Francisco to Codeshare Partnership with Turkish Airlines  Virgin Australia Upgrades Retailing Strategy with Sabre Air Price and Ancillary Solutions  TUI Expands Use of SITA OptiClimb to All Five Airlines in Group  Marshall J Orton Joins Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford as GM of F&B  China Airlines Launches Flights Between Taipei and Kumamoto, Japan  IATA FEGA Identifies Potential for LOT Polish Airlines to Reduce Fuel Consumption  British Airways Joins Fight Against Dementia by Partnering Alzheimer's Society  Hong Kong Int. Aviation Academy Launches First Cadet Pilot Programme  IndiGo Becomes Official Airline of Blue Tigers Indian Football Team  Marriott Opens World's Largest Aloft Hotel  Resort in Maldives Partners Karis Scarlette for Baa Atoll Ballet Retreat  Shady Abdelaziz Joins Four Seasons Hotel Tunis as DOSM  Intra-African Passenger Traffic to More Than Quadruple in Next 20 Years  Indian Air Force Takes Delivery of First C295 Aircraft from Airbus  Tailwind Air Appoints APG as Online GSA in USA  S Hotels Renovates and Upgrades IT Infrastructure at Key Properties in UK  AirAsia to Move Flights to New Airport in Siem Reap, Cambodia  Air Peace Orders Five Embraer E175 Aircraft  China Airlines Rewards FFP Members with Monthly Promotions  IHG Opens New-Build Holiday Inn & Suites in Geelong, Australia  Aruba Working with SITA to Upgrade Immigration Experience at AUA  Langham Opens Cordis Hotel in Xuzhou, China  SMBC Aviation Capital Expands 737 MAX Order Pipeline with Deal for 25 Boeing 737-8s  PHI Signs Agreement for 28 Airbus Helicopters  Anantara Chiang Mai Launches Ping River Cruises on Restored Rice Barge  Thaicom Orders a Flexible Telecommunications Satellite from Airbus  Korean Air Begins Transition to Electronic Air Waybills for Cargo  Tim Toerber Joins Assaia as Vice President of Business Development for the Americas  Elbit Systems Launches Capsule that Combines Skylark III with SkyStriker  Singapore Airlines to Resume Flights to Brussels in 2024  Vietnam Airlines Signs MOU for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8s  Thai Airways Adjusts BKK-HKT Schedule; Increases Flights to China  Elbit Systems to Upgrade IDF's Mini Skylarks  DidaTravel Appoints Ala Andriuta as Head of Destination Marketing  Cathay Pacific to Resume Flights to Chennai, India in 2024  Qatar Airways Partners Chef Ton for Delicious Thai Flavours in Business Class  Air Astana Opens Flight Training Centre at NQZ, Kazakhstan  Vietnam Airlines to Launch Flights Between Saigon and Perth, Australia  SalamAir to Launch Year-Round Flights Between Muscat and Beirut, Lebanon  Air Astana Launches Flights Between Almaty and Tel Aviv, Israel  Hawaiian Airlines Opens Ticket Sales on First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Flights  Airlines Report Highest RPK and PLF on Record  IHG Signs Six Hotel Indigo Properties in Europe  Turkish Airlines Increases A350 Order Book with Deal for Ten -900s  IATA Reports Global Air Cargo Data for July 2023  Norse Opens Ticket Sales on Paris - Los Angeles Flights  Cartier Opens Boutique at Sydney Airport in Australia  Mazen Abilmona Appointed GM of Pullman Singapore Hill Street Hotel  Air France-KLM to Establish A350 Component Maintenance Services JV with Airbus  Alan Joyce Brings Forward Retirement; Vanessa Hudson Appointed Qantas Group CEO and MD  SAS Appoints Ginger Hughes as CTO; Paul Verhagen as CCO  Eric Pellen Joins Fairmont Amman as Executive Chef  Bombardier Partners Collins Aerospace for Avionics Upgrade on In-Service Global Jets  IndiGo Revamps Inflight Catering Service  FlyArystan to Launch Almaty - Delhi and Astana - Dushanbe Flights  Marriott Opens First Autograph Collection Hotel in Thailand  Construction Begins on Peppers Gladstone Hotel in Central Queensland, Australia  Natalie Dau to Conduct 4-Day Next-Level Performance Retreat at Chiva-Som, Hua Hin  KAI to Begin Serial Production of Light Armed Helicopters from Airbus  AirAsia Thailand Launches CNX - Lampang and NAN - Phrae Transfer Services  Mantra Melbourne Airport Hotel to Undergo Multi-Million Dollar Refurbishment  Qantas Removes Expiry Date on COVID Credits  Indonesia Signs MOU with Boeing for 24 F-15EX Fighter Jets  Airbus Opens Automated A321XLR Equipping Hangar in Hamburg, Germany  Novotel Living and Ibis Almaty Jetisu Hotels in Kazakhstan - Interview with GM, Arseniy Tagaev  Aeroflot to Increase Flights from Russia to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand  Matthew Senyard Appointed Lodge Manager of Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti in Tanzania  Marriott Expands Luxury Collection to Japanese City of Nara  Embraer and CAE to Expand Pilot Training Program in Singapore  Marriott Opens First Moxy Hotel in Australia  Hong Kong Airport Reports July Passenger and Cargo Traffic  Few Tickets Still Available for Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2023  Qantas Orders 12 Airbus and 12 Boeing Aircraft  Finnair to Launch Flights Between Rovaniemi and Tromsø  Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Reports July's Passenger and Cargo Traffic  Bonza to Launch Flights Between Gold Coast and Launceston, Tasmania  Ramsey Saarany Appointed GM of Anantara Mina al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort  Emirates Reports One of its Busiest Summers Ever  EVA Air Extends Distribution Agreement with Amadeus  Almaty Marathon 2023 - 4K Video Interview with CEO, Saltanat Kazybayeva  Accor Hotels in Australia to Feature Peloton Bikes  Sabre Expands Presence in Fiji and South Pacific Islands with Airline Rep Services  Air New Zealand Orders Two ATR 72-600 Turboprop Aircraft  IndiGo to Operate All International Flights from BLR's Terminal 2  Electric Airport Taxis at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan - Video Interview with Co-Founder  Elias Pertoft Appointed Pre-Opening GM of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island  IHG Opens Third Hotel Indigo in Australia  Embraer E195-E2 Receives Type Certification from CAAC  Jörg Arnold Appointed Cluster Director of Andermatt Hotels and GM of The Chedi Andermatt  Marriott Signs Edition Hotel in Dali, China  Ethiopian Airlines to Launch Thrice Weekly Flights to London Gatwick, England  Boeing Appoints Alvin Liu as President - China  Charles Fisher Moves to Cairo as GM of Four Seasons Hotel  Jirarat Ninpadub Appointed GM of Le Meridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort  IndiGo to Launch Flights Between Delhi and Almaty, Kazakhstan  Accor Signs Second Sebel Hotel in Wellington, New Zealand  IHG Launches Garner a New Midscale Conversion Brand  Finnair Plus to Adopt Avios as Currency and Become a Spend-Based Platform  Two Luxurious Manor Homes Open at Fairmont St Andrews in Scotland  Thai AirAsia Reports Q2 and H1 2023 Results  Klook Survey Highlights Latest Travel Trends of Millennials and Gen Zs in Asia Pacific  Vietnam Airlines Signs MOC with Singapore Tourism Board  Aviation Safety and Training Singapore to Upgrade Flight Simulators with Lido FMS  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2023 Transgender Beauty Pageant in Pattaya, Thailand  Exclusive Video Interviews with 17 Miss International Queen 2023 Contestants  Living With One Eye - Six Years On by Steven Howard  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  RSS Feed - Travel Industry News  Ticker - Travel Industry News  Travel Industry News Archives  Travel Trade Shows  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News 

Subscribe to our Travel Industry News RSS Feed Travel Industry News RSS Feed from TravelNewsAsia.com. To do that in Outlook, right-click the RSS Feeds folder, select Add a New RSS Feed, enter the URL of our RSS Feed which is: https://www.travelnewsasia.com/travelnews.xml and click Add. The feed can also be used to add the headlines to your website or channel via a customisable applet. Have questions? Please read our Travel News FAQ. Thank you.

     
Advertising
Advertising
Copyright © 1997-2023 TravelNewsAsia.com