FIJI MOVES TO A MODERN TOURISM REGULATORY FRAMEWORK UNDER THE TOURISM ACT 2026
๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐จ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฆ๐น๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ 12 ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐จ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ.
๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ The Government is progressing a managed transition to Fijiโs new tourism regulatory framework following the passage of the Tourism Act 2026, replacing a system centred on hotels and guest houses for more than five decades.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. Viliame Gavoka, told Parliament today that implementation would focus on giving the industry sufficient time, information and support to move into the new system.
Businesses licensed under the Hotels and Guest Houses Act 1973 will have their licences and approvals recognised for up to 12 months after the new Act commences, allowing operators time to transition to the Tourism Enterprise Register.
โThe intention is to provide a managed transition, with the Ministry assisting enterprises to understand and progressively meet the new requirements,โ Hon. Gavoka said.
Unlike the former legislation, which primarily covered hotels and guest houses, the Tourism Act establishes a broader framework covering accommodation providers, tour operators, guides, dive operators and tourism experiences. Businesses will be classified through the Tourism Classification System and, once the applicable legal and tourism requirements are met, issued a Recognition Certificate. The Tourism Enterprise Register will be publicly accessible.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the reform was not intended to create another licensing system. The Recognition Pathway and Fiji Tourism Standards are designed to help businesses progressively improve quality, sustainability and compliance. A tiered classification will recognise Community, Indigenous and Micro Tourism Enterprises alongside small, medium and large operators.
The Ministry is progressing the regulations, administrative systems, registration procedures and industry guidance required before commencement. It will also run targeted awareness and engagement so operators understand whether they must register, how they will be classified, the standards that apply to them and the timeframe for transition.
โThis reform is about moving Fiji away from a regulatory system designed primarily for hotels in the 1970s to a modern tourism governance system covering the wider tourism economy,โ Hon. Gavoka said.
For businesses, the framework is expected to provide clearer rules, nationally consistent standards and greater recognition of quality operators, while giving Government better information for tourism policy, planning and industry development. For visitors, it is intended to provide greater confidence that tourism enterprises operate within recognised national standards for quality, sustainability and compliance.
The commencement date of the Tourism Act will be appointed by the Minister and timed to the Governmentโs operational readiness.
To read more of his speech, please click the following link:
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