With a couple of months into the welcoming of Pacific Islands leaders for the 52nd Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting, resorts on Rarotonga have started receiving bookings.

The 52nd Forum Meeting, held in the Cook Islands for the first time since 2012, will take place between November 6 and 10.

Edgewater Resort and Club Raro CEO Andrew Whittaker said they have received enquiries and are holding bookings for several delegations, support staff and media traveling to Rarotonga for the Pacific Forum.

He said the Edgewater can accommodate up to 900 guests at full occupancy and Club Raro approximately 150. 

Whittaker said that in the last three months, the resorts have experienced favourable growth in the second quarter this year and continue to see occupancies improve for November due to the constrained market. 

“The Pacific Forum is one of the drivers for this as well as several other events scheduled for the later part of the year and leading into the festive season.”

The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium and Sanctuary Rarotonga - on the beach said they were pleased to have received numerous bookings and enquiries for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum.

Resort manager, Haimona Browne said: “We have seen interest from various Pacific nations, indicating their intention to stay at our resorts during the event.”

In terms of accommodation capacity, Browne said the resort offers 111 guest rooms, suites, and villas, while Sanctuary Rarotonga - on the beach has 49 guest suites.

“Combined, our resorts can accommodate a total of 160 guest rooms. As of now, we have strong occupancies for November, but we still have rooms available specifically to accommodate delegates attending the Pacific Islands Forum but would encourage them to book as soon as they are able to secure their accommodation needs.”

Browne said that over the past three months, they had experienced a notable increase in the number of guests booking and staying at their resorts.

“This positive trend has set a strong booking pace, and we are pleased to say that our occupancy levels up to mid-November are looking very promising.”

He said in anticipation of the low season, they are actively working on numerous new sales initiatives to ensure this strong booking pace continues through the low season.

 “We are looking forward to welcoming the Forum leaders, delegations, and Pacific media representatives to Rarotonga and to our resorts.

 “We aim to provide them with a memorable and enjoyable experience during their stay in the Cook Islands,” he added.

The Forum is made up of 18 member nations, one associate member (Tokelau), five observer nations, and 21 dialogue partner nations. The Cook Islands is a founding member of the Forum.