How Fiji leads sustainable development of tourism

For anyone who has ever traveled and wants to give back in a direct and meaningful way, Fiji may only have the answer. Island nation has just launched a national sustainability initiative, Loloma Hour, to encourage all visitors to donate an hour of travel to projects from reef preservation to maintaining local communities, starting with their comfortable vacation.

Fiji is composed of more than 330 islands and is almost everywhere. Despite the relative isolation, tourism for Pacific island countries is becoming increasingly popular. In 2024, the country welcomed 1 million tourists for the first time, an increase of nearly 6% compared to the previous year. And with A direct route was launched recently from DallasAmerican travelers are more likely to enter their destination than ever before.

With the enthusiasm of travel – connections, new horizons and lasting memories – real estate has also emerged. In addition to increasing the carbon footprint of tourism, Fiji faces persistent environmental challenges such as micropollution and degradation to the Cakaulevu coral reef, the world’s third largest continuous barrier reef.

With Loloma Hour, Fiji hopes to marry tourism and sustainability in an impactful way, leverage the country’s growing popularity to become a force of kindness, and leverage excitement and positive attitudes on visits, and things that are often more in-depth than beach vacations.

The design of Loloma Hour is like a happy time for the soul. “After the pandemic, we have witnessed a meaningful shift in traveler behavior,” Srishti Narayan,,,,, Chief Marketing Officer of Tourism Fiji, Customs Travel + Leisure. “People are starting to seek more purposeful, responsible experiences to have a positive impact.”

The initiative is deeply influenced by feedback from travelers and conversations with local communities. Although tourists traveling to Fiji in the past have given back to the country through community donations, there has never been a formal unified way to leverage the spirit of wanting to give back through the tourism industry.

More than 20 partners, partners from boutique hotels and diving cabins to resorts and individual tour operators launched The initiative and provides guests with a clear, easy to access, adventurous and enjoyable way to give back. The event will fall under four key pillars of contribution: giving back to wildlife, giving back to the community, giving back to the shoreline and giving back to the reefs.

LOLOMA hour experience is tailored to its location and guests can choose from coral gardening with resident marine biologists Cocomo Private Islanda guided journey in the salt and oil manufacturing process Viani Bay ResortSwimming Conditions and Shangri-La Yanuca Island, FijiFijian people counting and protecting in iguanas Six senses FijiShark diving Barefoot kuata Island ResortBeach Cleaning InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spaand clams Viani Bay Resort.

Despite requiring guests to spend only an hour, Fiji bet on the collective strength of the time, riding millions of tourists on its shores. “It’s more than an hour,” Narayan said. “It’s about the mentality it encourages.”

The aim is to add more partners to the program, and in the first year, Fiji’s tourism industry hopes to account for at least 5,000 hours of sustainable development plans. Regardless of the event, it is hoped that tourists will connect with the country, which will exist long after the trip is over.

On a rural level, Loloma represents Fiji’s commitment to invest in its own environment, and it can be harmoniously opposite to its growing tourism industry. Globally, it can inspire travelers to see their role in a larger picture of environmental sustainability.

“Our vision is that this spirit of meaningful connection and cultural respect is spread throughout the Pacific,” Narayan said. “If we can inspire similar programs in neighboring island countries, we can jointly protect what attracts travelers first: our culture, our people and our natural environment.”

This is something worth traveling.