Palau's government has reached out to Japan and the US for assistance, after an official Chinese tourist withdrawal sent visitor numbers plumetting.
The President of Palau Tommy Remengesau Jr. Photo: RNZI / Koro Vaka'uta
In November, Beijing instructed its tourist agencies to stop flights to Palau because of its diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Palau experienced a 16 percent drop in arrivals from China in the last quarter of 2017 and last week a Palauan airline suspended its China flights in the face of financial losses.
AFP reported that Palau President Tommy Remengesau said on Wednesday that he had asked Washington and Tokyo for assistance, including asking Japan to build two hotels in Palau.
He said he also plans to approach South Korea and the European Union for help with attracting more tourists.
Taiwan has already stepped in to help, with its carrier China Airlines adding two more weekly flights to Palau.