The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) will launch the third phase of their programme aimed at reducing single-use plastics across the Pacific tourism sector, with implementation expected to begin in July or August this year.
The initiative, supported by the Australian government-funded Pacific Ocean Litter Project, will focus on data collection and monitoring to help tourism operators better measure, reduce and report their plastic use.
The announcement was made during the SPTO Board of Directors meeting held in Nadi, Fiji, on May 6. Organisers also launched a supplier directory featuring sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics for tourism businesses across the Pacific.
According to SPTO and SPREP, the third phase will provide tourism operators with practical tools to map and track their plastic footprint, assess the impact of reduction strategies and report environmental progress. The programme is designed to strengthen sustainability practices while improving accountability within the tourism industry.
The organisations said the initiative responds to increasing concerns over plastic pollution in Pacific coastal and marine environments, which continue to threaten ecosystems and tourism-dependent economies across the region.
Since 2023, SPTO and SPREP have worked together to advance Goal 4 of the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework, known as “Healthy Islands, Healthy Oceans”, through efforts targeting problematic single-use plastics in the tourism sector.
SPREP representative Seiuli Dwayne Bentley said Pacific island countries were already experiencing the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, with plastic waste posing a growing threat to marine and coastal environments.
“Through the Pacific Ocean Litter Project, we are supporting countries to move beyond commitments and into practical solutions that eliminate plastics and protect our oceans,” Bentley said.
Under Phase 3, support for tourism businesses from the third quarter of 2026 will include systems to help operators quantify plastic usage, implement targeted reduction measures and monitor results over time.
SPTO Chief Executive Officer Chris Cocker said the programme aimed to provide tourism operators with practical tools and resources to support sustainability efforts while responding to changing market expectations.
“This is about giving our tourism operators the tools to act,” Cocker said. “The awareness campaign builds understanding, the supplier list provides immediate alternatives, and Phase 3 introduces the systems needed to measure and demonstrate progress.”
