By Samantha Iyar
The future of tourism in Palau was featured in a lively discussion during a media workshop in Koror this week at Palau Community College.
Palau tourism and Chamber of Commerce officials emphasized the many job opportunities in tourism. But they also highlighted the need to find a way to encourage Palauans to come home to seek opportunities in the tourism industry.
“There are lots of opportunities,” Chamber of Commerce President Vivien Ngirarsaol commented. “It’s just a confidence level — building up our people and letting our people know that you can do this.”
The tourism discussion at PCC this week was part of the five-day “Telling Your Pacific Story” workshop sponsored by the Pacific Media Institute, the East-West Center, the Palau Media Council and PCC. The event gathered tourism authorities from Palau Visitors Authority, Palau Chamber of Commerce and Bureau of Tourism to discuss key issues and opportunities in the sector.
Out-migration was seen by tourism officials as an impediment for involving more Palauans in the tourism industry. They want Palauans to come home. “The Palauan dream is in Palau, not in America,” said Palau Visitors Authority Director Kadoi Ruluked.
PCC students who were interviewed after the panel, however, suggested that Palau’s minimum wage and economic opportunities were not enough to make them stay in Palau.
“There’s opportunities here, but they’re not enough,” said one student, who said he is studying mechanics. “I just want to have a lot of money.”
He and several other PCC students interviewed indicated that they were planning to leave Palau for education and job opportunities in the States or Guam.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce and the Director of the PVA both highlighted the opportunities available in Palau, such as showcasing young entrepreneurs at the Palauan night market and featuring local singers and dancers for entertainment.
“What’s a better way to build a nation by building it with the people who are actually from the nation,” said Palau Visitors Authority Director Kadoi Ruluked.
The comments from both government officials and students highlight a concerning trend: out-migration is negatively impacting Palauan participation in the tourism sector. Many young Palauans are preparing to leave the country in search of better employment opportunities, often in the United States.
Samantha Iyar is a reporter for Island Times, a newspaper published twice-weekly in Palau.