Page 11 - Islands Business May-June 2022

Tourism Tourism

Cocktails at the Sheraton Fiji on Denarau during FTE.

Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association CEO, Fantasha Locking- He says recycling, waste and renewables are all part of this
ton said Fiji needs to be able to respond to the “rock bottom picture and this needs to be addressed on a community scale,
prices” that Bali and other destinations will start to offer, but starting with capture of plastic for recycling.
not by getting into a price war. Other Pacific Islands are also looking at making sustainabil-
She says, “Six months into the reopening, we can see that ity a key part of their industry and marketing.
people are spending a little bit more, they’re staying a little This month Tokelau became the seventh member to sign on
bit longer. They don’t have a problem with traveling up fur- to the Pacific Tourism Organisation’s (SPTO) Pacific Leaders
ther. Statement of Commitment to advancing sustainable tourism
“They want to be able to go to the north, they want to go across the region by 2030, with Faafetai Taumanu, Tokelau’s
out to the coral coast and further out into the rural areas. Minister of Economic Development, Natural Resources and
The type of traveller that we’re enticing now, [it’s] individu- Environment, noting that Tokelau, like much of the Pacific’s
als who want to be able to see what else is out there in the smaller destinations, has unique and unspoilt offerings that
community.” are waiting to be discovered by travellers who wish to venture
She continues, “Fiji has been able to capitalise on the fact off the beaten track.
that we have had a whole lot of travellers who’ve never been He says the commitment recognises the need to prioritise
before. That’s an opportunity to capture them, and make sure green investments to support tourism growth and work with
that when they go back, we’ll still be front and centre in their partners to mobilise resources, and offer visitors “high qual-
minds when they tend to look [back] and say okay, I’m due ity, authentic, accessible and sustainable experiences that
for a holiday. And these include the people who used to go reflect our own country’s uniqueness.”
to Southeast Asia, who would make that once every so many Meanwhile in the north Pacific, Palau is about to launch
years trip up to North America, or travel around Europe, but Ol’au Palau, which will see guests use an app to gather points
because of the way different countries were handling COVID, for treating the island nation “gently and respectfully” by, for
the confidence levels to travel just started to shift.” example, visiting culturally important sites, eating local food,
and using reef-safe sunscreen. Those points will be redeem-
Sustainability matters able for special experiences, such as attending important (but
Hill calls (environmental and cultural) sustainability in tour- inaccessible to outsiders) cultural ceremonies or fishing in
ism a “hygiene factor”, something Fiji must do, and do with secluded spots.
integrity. Ol’au Palau builds on the Palau Pledge, a promise visitors
“I think there is a risk that, as people start down the path make to protect Palau’s environment for its children. The
of sustainability, they will face criticism, and they’ll think, pledge is stamped in passports and must be signed before an
well I don’t have the credibility in this space, so I’ll back off, immigration agent on arrival. Pre-COVID, Palau was welcoming
and I think that’s wrong. The important thing is to come out seven times the country’s population per annum, which was
and try and make small steps down that path.” putting pressure on on its fragile marine and land ecosystems.

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