The Tourism Talanoa, scheduled for October, is expected to pave the way forward for the sector, line minister, Faiyaz Koya, said. “It’s in very early planning stages, but will cover mostly post-COVID-19 material,” he said.

“It is a session where everybody can contribute towards what we want to do, what has been done, whether it was done right or not, whether we need to correct mistakes.

“It’s an open forum of discussions with all stakeholders.”

Mr Koya said the talanoa would be a great opportunity for the fact that in the entire two years of COVID-19, the tourism industry stakeholders fully engaged in all discussions.

“And that helped us manage tourism,” he added.

Sustainable Tourism

Mr Koya said sustainable tourism were always on the agenda.

“Most people are now sitting up and taking notice, and realising that it is the only way forward, especially in light of our climate change,” he said.

Among Fiji’s most pressing issues were climate change, and rising sea levels, Mr Koya said.

“For us, that means sustainable tourism,” he said.

“Seeing as tourism forms the largest part of our Gross Domestic Product in good times, it’s the only way to go.

“It will be at the forefront of discussions at the Tourism Talanoa, and in discussions at investment forums.

“It’s not just tourism, it’s the whole holiday economy doing everything sustainably, whether it’s renewable energy that we need to look at more, or whatever, it is all part of our national plan.”

Business Councils Meet In Nadi

Fiji’s dairy industry needs to grow a whole lot more, Mr Koya said, when asked about New Zealand’s position as a global leader in the dairy sector.

Fiji had learnt a lot from its New Zealand dairy counterparts and would continue to, he said.

His comments came in light of an upcoming joint conference between business councils of New Zealand and Fiji.

The Fiji New Zealand Business Council and the New Zealand Fiji Business Council will convene a joint conference at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Denarau, Nadi, on June 23 and 24.

“We always want to grow with our export bases,” Mr Koya said.

While issues such as freight and biosecurity may make it to the list of concerns that could be discussed at the event, the Government’s role would be to listen, Mr Koya said.

“We listen, so that we can actually correct things if need be,” he said.

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