Cook Islands tourism top priority for New Zealand aid

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully will be discussing opportunities to boost the Cook Islands tourism sector in talks with the Pacific island nation's leaders this week.

McCully said Monday he would travel to the Cook Islands to hear from the government and tourism and business leaders about economic development opportunities in the outer islands.

"My discussions with Prime Minister (Henry) Puna and his Cabinet will cover a range of matters, including New Zealand's support to the Cook Island's tourism sector, which accounts for over 60 percent of national GDP," McCully said in a statement.

"Ensuring the ongoing health of the tourism sector is a top priority in our partnership. For this reason, New Zealand has committed to projects designed to improve sanitation and water quality infrastructure, specifically in Rarotonga and Aitutaki."

New Zealand's total aid for the Cook Islands in the 2015-2016 financial year was 25.2 million NZ dollars (18.08 million U.S. dollars).

Support for the tourism industry since 2013 had helped sustain visitor numbers of more than 120,000 each year, increased cruise ship visits, and enabled a steady increase in annual revenue from tourism, which was estimated at 209 million NZ dollars (149.93 million U.S. dollars) in 2014, according to New Zealand government figures.

At the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in 2012, the New Zealand and Chinese governments announced they would work jointly with the Cook Islands government on a major infrastructure project to deliver safe drinking water to all homes and businesses on Rarotonga, the tourist and economic hub of the Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands has been in a free association with New Zealand since 1965 and the arrangement enables the 15,000 people living in the islands to claim New Zealand citizenship and use the New Zealand currency. Endit