- Tourism Solomons CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto who passed away in Suva, Fiji, on Tuesday, September 21.
- Mr Tuamoto had recently returned to Fiji to be close to family while he recuperated following a recent bout of ill health.
- One of Mr Tuamoto’s more high-profile achievements came in 2018 when he was the driving force behind the move to rebrand the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau to Tourism Solomons.
The close-knit Solomon Islands tourism industry is in mourning following the death of Tourism Solomons CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto who passed away in Suva, Fiji, on Tuesday, September 21.
Mr Tuamoto had recently returned to Fiji to be close to family while he recuperated following a recent bout of ill health.
Announcing the sad news, Tourism Solomons board chairman, Chris Hapa said the national tourist office team was devastated by the loss of their beloved ‘Boso’ who has been in the CEO role since joining the then Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau in 2013.
“There can be no doubt Jo has had a massive impact on the Solomon Islands tourism industry in his time here,” Mr Hapa said.
“We were very fortunate when he accepted an offer to join us in 2013, his reputation on the regional tourism scene, and particularly the impact he achieved for the Fiji tourism sector on a world-wide basis while CEO of Tourism Fiji, more than preceded him.
“Jo leaves a huge legacy. In his time with us, we have seen the Solomon Islands tourism sector grow exponentially.
“Tourism today is a major contributor to the national economy, in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period we saw international visitation increase by close on 10 per cent on a year-on-year basis and Jo’s guidance in the creation of ongoing international marketing campaigns has seen our tiny country now recognized as a major player on the regional tourism stage.
