Cook Islands Tourism Corporation yesterday announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors.

Halatoa Fua, the director of the National Environment Service and former chief executive of Tourism, and Ani Thompson, regional general manager at Pacific Resort Group, have been appointed to the board.

They replaced former board members Emile Kairua and Serena Hunter and join existing board members, chairman Ewan Smith, Rohan Ellis, Dianna Clarke-Bates, Onu Hewett and Apii Porio.

Fua said: “It’s great to see Karla (Eggelton) and the team growing the Corporation’s operations. My role in the board is simply for advisory purposes and to draw on my experience with the Corporation at a governance level.”

Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Mark Brown, issued new warrants for all board members, effective for two years.

Brown also recognised Hunter and Kairua for their years of service to the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation Board.

The newly configured Board convened on Tuesday at the Cook Islands Tourism head office in Avarua, with PM Brown, and Assistant Minister for Tourism, Teokotai Herman, in attendance.

According to a statement, the Prime Minister highlighted the appointment of the Assistant Minister to bolster the successful governance model implemented by the Corporation and ensure the advancement and protection of this vital economic sector.

Chairman Ewan Smith welcomed the Assistant Minister, noting his experience as a tourism operator.

“Assistant Minister Herman will play a crucial role in delivering Government policy directions to the Board. We look forward to working with him over the next two years,” Smith said.

Tourism chief executive Karla Eggelton expressed her enthusiasm about the board’s vast experience, stating, “The collective expertise of both our new and incumbent board members ensures that the future of Cook Islands tourism is in very capable hands.”
“We are committed to fostering a successful and sustainable approach to tourism development.”

The board immediately began its work, setting a proactive agenda for the future of Cook Islands tourism, the statement said.

It completed its scheduled special annual meetings, held across Tuesday and Wednesday this week. These meetings were dedicated to reviewing performance scorecards and outlining plans for the upcoming financial year.

On Tuesday, Eggelton provided an overview of the tourism landscape and outlined key strategic imperatives for the sector, setting the stage for future considerations.

Corporation director Brad Kirner then presented on the “destination development” division, while Wednesday’s meeting focused on the “destination marketing” division, where director Noeline Mateariki presented results and upcoming plans.