Fiji Minister for Tourism Addresses Asia-Pacific Leaders at the Tourism Resilience Summit

Sendai, Japan – November 10, 2024 – Hon. Viliame Gavoka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation of Fiji, accompanied by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Fiji to Japan, His Excellency, Filimone Waqabaca, are attending the Tourism Resilience Summit in Sendai, Japan.

The Summit, jointly hosted by the Government of Japan and UN Tourism, gathered Asia-Pacific tourism leaders to discuss strategies for recovery, sustainability, and resilience in the tourism industry in the wake of recent global challenges.

Along the margins of the Summit, a Ministerial Meeting was convened and officially opened by the Japan Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Honourable Saito Tetsuo. In attendance also was the Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner, UN Tourism Executive Director and Mayor of Sendai City.

In his intervention at the Summit, Hon. Gavoka shared Fiji’s commitment to building a more resilient tourism sector and Fiji’s vulnerability to natural disasters. He further emphasized the importance of collaboration and innovation in responding to natural disasters, pandemics, and other disruptions.

“We have used these crises as an opportunity to rebuild stronger. And if you look back at history, from SARS to the Global Financial Crisis, to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has shown the ability to bounce back,” said Hon. Gavoka.

Fiji’s tourism sector, which is central to the nation’s economy, is committed to rebuilding in a way that emphasizes sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience, with special attention to diversifying tourism offerings and improving disaster resilience.

“We’re using that recovery to build resilience. We’re establishing a stronger and diverse economic base. We’re forging sustainable public-private partnerships. This also means creating policies and programmes that don’t only guide us today, but in the years to come,” added Hon. Gavoka.

The Ministerial Meeting affirmed that advance preparation to prevent and minimize the impacts of crises and disasters caused by natural hazards is of utmost importance. At the same time, it was acknowledged that absorbing the impacts of crises and disasters caused by natural hazards and recovering through adaptation and transformation is necessary to better prepare for future threats.

ENDS.