Fiji Tourism Exchange: Promoting peace in the Pacific isles

At the recent Fiji Tourism Exchange (FTE), tourism officials were touting Fiji as the new Hawaii, offering visitors a safe and peaceful destination that is far away from issues affecting other parts of the world.

“Fiji is a safe destination,” said Fiji’s deputy prime minister and minister of tourism and civil aviation Viliame Gavoka. Adding to that, Paul Scurrah, MD and CEO of Fiji Airways said, “While we continue to monitor global developments that may affect the aviation sector, Fiji’s geographic location, relative isolation and reputation as a safe, family-friendly destination continues to support strong travel interest.”

In response to possible repercussions arising from the conflict in Iran, the country’s Tourism Action Group (TAG) was reactivated from March 19, 2026. TAG is tasked to not just co-ordinate the industry’s response but also to maintain visitor confidence and support future bookings to deliver meaningful outcomes – for instance, assuring passengers that planes will fly.

Warm connections

The FTE was held at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort, Denarau Island in Nadi and it attracted 123 buyers from 16 countries, plus 82 exhibitors. During FTE’s opening ceremony, Minister Gavoka told delegates that Fiji offers scenic beauty, cultural experiences and warm greetings.

Concurring, Dr Paresh Pant, CEO of Tourism Fiji, said that happiness does come naturally in Fiji, which coincidentally, is also the tagline for the DMO. “It is an emotional experience and warmth of the Bula, which means not just means hello but also embodies the Fijian spirit,” he explained.

The minister evoked smiles as he mentioned that even though delegates were working at FTE, they must be feeling good that the event is being held in Fiji.

Meghan Boyd, Goway’s product manager for the South Pacific who is based in Toronto, is a regular attendee at the FTE. She was there to reconnect with suppliers and to introduce her colleague Fabiola Gama, team lead and senior destination specialist, South Pacific Division, to Goway’s suppliers.

Genevieve Gobeil, product manager and senior coordinator for 5Continents, based in Montreal, was another attendee. She was looking forward to meeting local suppliers, and noted an uptick in queries to Fiji with the free stopover program offered by Fiji Airways.

New offerings

Tourism Fiji is working on joint marketing campaigns with Fiji Airways for the Australian, New Zealand and North American markets.

Year-over-year figures show that the YVR-NAN bookings are up by 40% over last year. That will be given another boost in June 2026 with the addition of the third direct flight on Thursdays from Vancouver.

Besides attending FTE, delegates also took part in pre- and post-familiarization trips that allowed them to sample different products and activities on various islands. These included a networking sneak peek event onboard South Seas Cruises’ soon-to-be-launched (on April 27) 22-cabin Yasawa Princess II.

Canadian tour operators were also treated to a taralala (Fijian for celebration) evening, sampling a curated night market that showcased Fijian-owned businesses. This included Vanua Chocolate, which has a special kava variety mixed with locally sourced cacao and House of Salt’s sea salt products harvested from the ocean depths surrounding Taveuni.

For more, go to www.fiji.com.fj

In the photos

(All photos by Beatrice Ang)

TOP

Seen here from l to r, are Dr Paresh Pant, Tourism Fiji; Ailava Samuels, Miss Pacific Islands 2026; Viliame Gavoka, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism and civil aviation of Fiji & Paul Scurrah, Fiji Airways.

SECOND

From l to r, are Jean Vasquez, EF Educational Tours; Genevieve Gobeil, 5Continents; Meghan Boyd & Fabiola Gama from Goway check out the offerings of the new Yasawa Princess II.

MIDDLE

Delegates having a light moment during the taralala event

BOTTOM

Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort