News

Mr. Sean Stewart, a member of the Australian Border Force, is currently in Savusavu working with Fijian Customs & Immigration officers in preparation for the opening of Fiji’s second Blue Lane Yacht port.  Since being approved by the Fijian Government’s COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce as the nation’s second Blue Lanes port aside from Denarau, preparations are well underway for the Hidden Paradise of Fiji town of Savusavu. Source […]

Cook Islands Tourism coordinated a review of the successful Te Vaka O Ru community programme in Aitutaki last Wednesday. This programme, which has been in place since 2016, is a replica of the Vaka Pride programme on Rarotonga.  All key partners were present to contribute towards improving the Te Vaka O Ru […]

Last week PTS Plumbing went to Aitutaki to assemble the four Eco Toilets designated for the main island of Aitutaki. The Eco Toilets were successfully installed on four sites in Aitutaki which included Tautu Wharf, Vaipae Wharf, Base One and Maina Landing. Local plumbers on Aitutaki assisted the PTS Plumbers […]

Key members of the Border Easement Taskforce (BET) presented at the first Global Breakfast Updatefor 2021. The BET provided an update on the multi-agency readiness work undertaken for the TwoWay Quarantine Free Travel arrangement between the Cook Islands and New Zealand Government. The Global Breakfast Update, or commonly known as […]

2,651 individuals have been vaccinated in Honiara since the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Solomon Islands recently received 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX facility. 17,000 has been allocated for border communities while 7,000 is slotted for Honiara – targeting frontliners, the elderly and those with […]

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley has issued tender requests for up to $7 million in tourism spending to upgrade roads in the Norfolk Island National Park. The funding is part of a $233 million Morrison Government investment in infrastructure upgrades across Commonwealth national parks to create jobs and improve […]

Almost half the population of Wallis and Futuna has been vaccinated against Covid-19 as the French territory is about to come out of a four-week lockdown. The inoculation drive launched less than two weeks ago with additional staff flown in from France has seen just over 46% of the population […]

The United Nations specialized agency has recorded rising interest in unique and authentic travel experiences, including in nature-based and outdoors tourism. With this trend expected to accelerate as tourism restarts, the Startup Competition is looking for those ideas that will help ensure rural communities are best-placed to benefit. The competition […]

New Zealand’s successful management of COVID means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday 19 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have […]

The Nadroumai Women’s Club in Western Viti Levu convened on the coral coast, last week, to celebrate a successful agroforestry project that will provide benefits for future generations. The project, “Enhancing value-added products and environmental benefits from agroforestry systems in the Pacific” is wrapping up with a list of forward-looking […]

In a world where luxury isn’t easily associated with sustainability, Six Senses Fiji provides impetus to think and act differently. Located on Malolo Island in Fiji’s pristine Mamanuca group, Six Senses Fiji offers an unmatched experience in luxury, local culture, adventure and sustainability programmes.  Internationally renowned, the Six Senses brand […]

With more than 70 participants from around the region the UNWTO Workshop on ‘Sustainable Tourism Product Development in the Pacific Islands’ was held in Suva, Fiji, on 31 March 2021, with participants attending in-person and virtually. A collaboration between UNWTO, Asia Pacific Tourism Exchange Centre (APTEC), Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) […]

In the month of March, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) Plastics Repurposing Trainings were conducted on the islands of Savusavu and Taveuni in Fiji. Coordinated in partnership with the Savusavu and Taveuni Tourism Associations, the trainings brought together a cross-section of community representatives including former tourism sector workers, women, youth […]

Ocean Ventures is a conservation-minded scuba diving and snorkelling operator in Natewa Bay on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu. Natewa Bay, the largest bay in the South Pacific, is bordered by the lush rainforests of the Natewa Peninsula, and offers a ridge-to-reef biodiversity that is found in only a […]

The review of the SPTO online library, more widely known as the Regional Tourism Resource Center (RTRC) as well as the communication products including the monthly Market Watch, a SPTO monthly update on outbound market trends amongst others was launched this month. Led by Eagles Consultancy, a Fiji-based consultancy company, […]

Aga Reef Resort has taken down the Africa, Middle East and Oceania bracket’s No. 1 seed, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat, after receiving 60.36 percent of the vote. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the lush green mountain backdrop of Upolu’s south coast, Aga Reef Resort is an intimate boutique resort surrounded by […]

Royal Caribbean International has confirmed a summer 2021 cruising season in the UK on the Anthem of the Seas. Select key workers will have an opportunity to sail for free. The Anthem of the Seas – a “firm favorite in the region,” according to Royal Caribbean’s press release – will […]

Royal Caribbean International has taken delivery of the new Odyssey of the Seas from shipbuilder Meyer Werft. The Quantum-Ultra class cruise ship marks the completion of a series of five ships whose construction Meyer Werft started in January 2013 with the launch of the Quantum of the Seas, according to […]

Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand (PTI NZ) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA Plus) are forging closer engagement to support Pacific Islands’ private sector to improve market access and grow exportability to the New Zealand market. PTI NZ and PHAMA Plus will work together to better […]

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) convened a workshop on sustainable tourism product development on Wednesday 31st March at the Holiday Inn in Suva.The workshop, which also engaged virtually with some participants, was aimed at achieving the following objectives: To support […]