Through destination development, Cook Islands Tourism Corporation is looking at opportunities, stating that “an opportunity exists to expand the tourism offering and amplify community-led tourism in the Pa Enua”.

This was found in the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation report ending June 30, 2023 that was submitted to Parliament in December.

The report said that with the launch of the new Cook Islands Tourism Development Strategy (CITDS), focussed on a sustainable and resilient future, there is an opportunity to expand to the Pa Enua.

It identified that while each outer island was on its own journey, Tongareva showed interest in developing a sustainable tourism product for the island to cater for up to 50 passengers per week (domestic and international).

It showed that a sealed runway/airport is the catalyst to elevating and advancing the conversation and speaks to a possible pilot programme to design a “playbook” for other islands that will assist in establishing and/or maintaining a viable tourism product.

Cook Islands Tourism reports that: “This speaks to creating economic opportunity, enabling the private sector in the Pa Enua, and reducing reliance on the Cook Islands government. “

With this the action planned was to expand tourism work to actively tailor work with and support Pa Enua's needs, develop a ‘playbook’ to provide a guiding framework to assist Pa Enua's development, consider debt/equity fund designed to provide seed investment to the Pa Enua residents for tourism projects that have a realistic potential for the future like holiday homes, and small businesses.

And to also unlock private jet charter potential.