Visitors to Fiji are being encouraged to spend some of their holiday time taking environmental or cultural action. From planting trees to coral gardening, Tourism Fiji has partnered with resorts to launch the sustainability-focused initiative called 'Loloma Hour'.

Suva

Fiji has launched an innovative initiative called 'Loloma Hour', encouraging visitors to participate in sustainability-focused activities during their vacations. The effort, championed by Tourism Fiji in partnership with local resorts, aims to protect the environment and preserve cultural heritage. Visitors can engage in coral gardening, tree planting, and programs supporting wildlife conservation. The initiative underscores the importance of sustainable tourism, particularly in regions vulnerable to climate change, such as the South Pacific islands. Participants leave with a sense of contribution toward the preservation of Fiji's natural beauty and culture.

Tourism Fiji's initiative invites hotel operators nationwide to offer activities that allow tourists to give back. Participation options range from environmental to cultural activities, like caring for Fiji's rare crested iguanas or engaging in efforts to conserve the critically endangered hawksbill turtle populations. The program highlights a growing trend among travellers seeking to act as responsible tourists by positively impacting the destinations they visit. Through 'Loloma Hour', guests can experience Fiji's culture while aiding in its environmental preservation efforts.

The success of the sustainability initiatives is vital for both Fiji's economy and its environmental resilience. Activities like coral gardening and the turtle program, run by resorts such as Six Senses and Vomo Island Resort, offer immersive experiences that help tourists understand the significance of preserving these fragile ecosystems. With tourism being a crucial economic component, promoting conscious travel can contribute to a more robust economic response to climate challenges and safeguard the natural wonders of Fiji for future generations.



Fiji launches world-first 'Happy Hour for the Environment"

Below the pristine blue water of Malolo Island here in Fiji, work is underway to protect and restore fragile species of sea coral. It holds 10,000 corals, and what we do, we plant corals on ropes. Jerome Maftuna is one of Fiji's famed coral gardeners. From their base here at the Six Senses Resort, each week Jerome and his team take tourists out on guided snorkelling trips to see and help grow coral, which will one day be replanted in the waters right around Fiji. What's so important about giving coral back to the ocean? Coral is a perfect habitat for fish. They just come and they clean the ropes, and it gives them a sense of them giving back to the environment. The coral gardening experience is one of a number of sustainability-focused activities Now on offer to holidaymakers in Fiji, as part of a new initiative called La Loma Hour, launched by the country's peak tourism body. In Fiji, the land, sea and people are one. La Loma Hour is what we are calling the world's first happy hour for the environment. Srishti Narayan is Chief Marketing Officer at Tourism Fiji. She says dozens of hotel and resort operators right across the country are now participating in La Loma Hour, which encourages guests to give back during their stay. In our traditional Fijian language, La Loma means to love, but from a place of generosity. What we're doing is asking all the visitors that come into Fiji to spend one hour of their stay, participating in a sustainability initiative, whether that's a culturally related one or an environmentally related one. Coral gardeners is a great experience at Six Senses, our team of marine biologists working really hard to regenerate our reefs. One of the other initiatives is based around our iguanas, our Fijian crested iguanas, which are quite rare to this island. So you can come and plant a tree, a particular food for them. Tamani, what are you doing for your La Loma Hour here at Vomo? The turtle program, we're so excited. The hawksbill turtles, as you may know, it's critically endangered. And if we can increase or contribute to the numbers, maybe the future generations can actually see and get to enjoy these beautiful hawksbill turtles. You don't have to be on an island long to really understand how fragile an ecosystem we have out here. Justin King is general manager at Vomo Island Resort. Whether it be the turtle program, whether it be the Counting Coral initiative, we've been really working to make sure that anyone who visits this spot and this delicate location can leave it in better shape than they arrived. Take part in meaningful activities to help protect Fiji's natural beauty and culture. South Pacific islands are really hard hit by climate change and the impacts that we're seeing. So if we can support their tourism industry, which is a major economic driver for them, then that can help spur the economy and make them more resilient, which is so important to protect natural wonders like this. Steve, we've got a surprise for you. We'll name one city after you. Oh my gosh, this is like the greatest honour of all time. Shall we take them and stretch their legs? We'll do that. We'll do that. We'll take city. OK, perfect. Have a little swim. We know true happiness comes from giving back and we know increasingly visitors are asking us how can I be a responsible traveller? It's a fun way to experience a different part of Fiji and give something back to the country while you're here.

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