Pacific Tourism Organisation, SWITCH-Asia & Fijis Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry Partner for Fiji Scoping Under Sustainable Tourism Enhancement Project

Recognising the need for a more sustainable approach, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in collaboration with SWITCH-Asia, has partnered with Fiji’s Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry (MCTA) to conduct a scoping exercise as part of the SWITCH-Asia Sustainable Tourism Enhancement Project (STEP).

This initiative supports MCTA’s efforts to develop national sustainable tourism standards. This initiative is a crucial step in aligning national tourism policies with sustainability standards that emphasize environmental responsibility and long-term resilience.

Over the past week, MCTA has conducted a series of consultations and workshops in Suva and at the Tourism Fiji Office in Nadi, facilitated through the partnership between SPTO and the European Union-funded SWITCH-Asia programme.

The scoping exercise aims to gather insights on integrating the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Standards into national policies, with a particular focus on resource efficiency and the business-enabling environment. It is part of a broader project aligning national tourism policies with these standards, emphasizing Circular Economy principles and Sustainable Consumption and Production practices.

The project is being implemented across four Pacific Island Countries: Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Kiribati. Fiji’s MCTA is a key beneficiary of this project, with the European Union SWITCH-Asia Programme providing crucial support.

Key stakeholder meetings and consultations have taken place with representatives from various industries and organisations in Fiji.  The next phase of the initiative will continue with the Samoa scoping mission, scheduled for February 3 to 7, 2025.