Blue Ocean Tourism: The Evolution of Friendship Islands in the Pacific

Blue ocean tourism has been one of the most critical industries for sustainable socioeconomic development in the Pacific, while the Pacific island countries and territories commonly face severe geographical and resource constraints driven by their small domestic markets and isolation from global markets. This chapter explores the development of blue ocean tourism through collaboration among “friendship islands” in the Pacific. Friendship islands adopt the concepts of sister cities and other related terms (e.g., border, partner, and twin cities). This study applies the case study approach, specifically choosing three pairs of Pacific friendship islands (or cities): (i) Nadi and Suva in Fiji; (ii) Samoa and American Samoa; and (iii) Palau and the Yap State of Federated States of Micronesia. The three case studies highlight the opportunities and challenges of friendship islands in promoting blue ocean tourism and its sustainable development.