News

Custom, handcrafted Tanoas, or Fijian bowls, will be displayed across restaurants and bars at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva with the aim to elevate guest experience. IHG says the handmade wooden bowls are a testament to the Ministry of Forestry’s joint efforts with local Fijian villages in upskilling carvers to create sustainable income opportunities […]

Fijian activist Komal Kumar has received the 2022 Simone Veil Prize for Gender Equality. Kumar is a strong advocate in climate change, ethics, feminism and politics, and was selected for the Prize by the French Embassy in Fiji in March last year. Kumar said she felt very humbled and grateful to have accepted the award […]

The 55 nominees for the Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2022 have been announced ahead of the nation’s tourism awards gala night late next month. The theme of the event is “Celebrating Resilience and Recovery in Tourism” and ties in with the judges’ view that the finalists are a diverse and balanced group, all worthy […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti A sports photography exhibition currently on show in Suva, The Digital Land of Games, pays homage to the various landscapes that sports touch. The exhibition, which you can see at the Alliance Francaise, is a crossroads between sports and culture, and also serves as a prelude to the Olympic Games, to be […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Fiji’s newly re-opened museum is focusing on bringing young people closer to its collection through a pioneering workshop programme called museums, objects, and culture. The Fiji Museum’s Head of Special Projects, Dr. Katrina Iggleston, says the workshop looks into how youth can be more empowered and engaged in a museum setting, in […]

“In opening minds to different ideas, different perspectives, different ways of seeing life, then we create more possibilities for greater understanding, a mentally healthier community in many ways,” says Kitiana Chute, co-organiser of TEDxNadi. Launched in 2009, TEDx is a program of locally-organised events around the world that bring communities together to share experiences. TEDxNadi […]

Fiji visitor arrival numbers for December surpassed pre-COVID levels according to figures released by the Bureau of Statistics this week. A total of 75,580 visitors (102% of 2019) landed in Fiji last month. December also recorded the highest ever number of Australian travellers in a month, with 42,304 coming to Fiji, exceeding September 2022 which […]

InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Rise Beyond the Reef have partnered to further support income generation for rural communities in Fiji. Lachlan Walker, IHG’s Area General South Pacific, says the partnership allows the resort to make a positive impact in the lives of indigenous artisans across the country, while allowing visitors to build a deeper […]

A new “piece based baggage policy” adopted by Fiji Airways will offer guests more convenient travel with less bulky luggage. The national carrier is moving away from the weight based policy for Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands to enhance the experience for guests and to make baggage handling easier for them. […]

Two Fiji university students have launched an innovative project to provide better aid to the visually impaired. The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Shahil Prasad and Salveen Deo garnered praise from lecturers and students alike for their assistive device that can detect objects and computes the details to produce an audio text output that […]

Fiji’s CORAL COAST SEVENS returns after a two-year absence in 2023 with a strong line up, a big name ambassador, and renewed financial support. The 11 year old tournament which gathers premium Fijian rugby talent in one place for the benefit of Fiji Rugby selectors, was postponed due to COVID. The tournament will field an […]

The third season of a popular South Pacific cooking show is set to be released in early 2023. With over 5 million weekly television viewers, Pacific Island Food Revolution is screened in 12 Pacific Island countries. PIFR chair and co-host Robert Oliver says production for Season 3 took three weeks, with five participating countries – […]

After 44 years, Fiji’s first guidebook on its capital city, Suva, returns with a revamped version. The authors of Suva – A History and Guide have expanded coverage to over 200 pages. This includes detailed information on neighborhood attractions, restaurants, cafes, shopping, heritage buildings and Suva’s flourishing cultural and nightlife scenes. The new edition features […]

A significant number of superyachts will visit the South Pacific over the next two years, says Cynthia Rasch, director of Port Denarau, Fiji’s award-winning marina. Port Denarau Marina and Tourism Fiji attended the world’s premier Yacht Show in Monaco late September which drew around 35,000 guests featuring more than 450 top luxury yacht brands and […]

Fiji Airways took home the award for Best Airline Staff Service – Australia & Pacific at the World Airline Awards, held September 23 in London. It is the second time passengers have chosen Fiji Airways for this top prize. The airline also won the award in 2019. The award assess all frontline service contact points […]

By Anne Moorhead Recently I arrived back in Fiji after nearly two years away. One of the first changes I noticed, on the drive from Nadi to Suva, was the proliferation of the African tulip tree. It’s a beautiful tree, with huge scarlet flowers – hence its introduction a few decades ago as a garden […]

Sigatoka River Safari has successfully defended its title as Oceania’s Leading Adventure Tour Operator at the World Travel Awards for the sixth consecutive year. Managing Director Jay Whyte says its a reflection of the team working at Sigatoka River Safari, and of the people of Navosa and the 18 villages they work with throughout the […]

Pacific researchers assessing the wellbeing of tourism-reliant communities in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands amid the COVID-19 pandemic have found these communities are mainly resilient in the face of adversity. Professor Regina Scheyvens and Dr Apisalome Movono’s ongoing study “Measuring the Well-being of Tourism-Reliant Communities in the South Pacific during the COVID-19 pandemic” […]

By Leila Parina “I am excited and humbled as well to be part of the whole experience and the industry as well,” said Michael Mausio after winning the “Progressive Development in a Fashion Business” category at the Fiji Fashion Week (FJFW) Awards. Although he has been nominated before, this was Mausio’s first win at the […]

Fijian internet sensation Shaheel Shermont Prasad will be strutting his stuff in various tourism hotspots in and around Nadi, showcasing Fiji’s beauty and outlining various tourism experiences, says Tourism Fiji. Shermont captured the attention of the world, when his videos, showing him emulating high fashion parades while barefoot, and adorned with inanimate objects such as […]

Passport services have been made easier for Fijian passport holders in the United States of America.  The Fijian Government through the Department of Immigration will install e-passport biometric equipment at the Fijian Trade Commission in San Francisco in two weeks time.  Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama assured the Fijian diaspora that services to Fijians will commence […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti The 50th anniversary of the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture was marked in Suva this month with fire-dancjng and Rotuman rhythms, as well as contemporary dances and songs. The theme ‘Na wekaqu, noqu iyau’ which means ‘My relationships are my heritage and wealth,” put a spotlight on kinships and relationships. In […]

After a vigorous shortlisting process, 10 finalists have been chosen by the Domo Vou Talei music competition panel of judges and will now receive ten weeks of coaching from industry experts. Over 130 eclectic entries were received from all over Fiji in the new competition for original music. The Domo Vou Talei judges said the […]

What started as a small interaction over a cup of coffee in 2006 has today turned out to be the biggest cancer fundraising event in Fiji. As Motibhai Group executive director Bhupendra Patel recalls, it was a mere coincidence that he happened to meet a group of Australian ladies at the Suva Central complex on one fine morning 17 […]