The Solomon Islands government has called for stronger regional cooperation to improve aviation safety and security across the Pacific during the opening of the 22nd Pacific Aviation Safety Office, or PASO, Council Meeting and Annual General Meeting in Honiara. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Solomon Islands Minister for Communication and Aviation Fr...

The Union of Hotels of New Caledonia has signed a statement of intent with the New Caledonian government to support preparations for the 14th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, or FESTPAC, scheduled to be held in the French Pacific territory in 2028. The agreement was signed on May 21 by Mickaël Forrest and Philippe Etwiller as part of broader effor...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation is advancing plans for a regional gender inclusion framework after the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative presented a draft Gender and Inclusive Tourism Action Plan 2026–2030 during the organisation’s board meeting in Fiji. The draft plan was presented by the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative duri...

Fiji Airports has received the 2026 Green Airports Recognition Platinum Award for its Wailoaloa Mangrove Restoration Project at Nadi International Airport, highlighting growing regional focus on climate adaptation and environmental resilience in the aviation sector. The award was presented during the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Midd...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation has intensified engagement in regional institutional reform discussions, with its board emphasising the importance of maintaining a dedicated regional mechanism for tourism governance in the Pacific. During a board meeting held last week in Nadi, Fiji, directors received an update on the ongoing Review of the Regional A...

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 governmen...

The Fiji Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has concluded nationwide public consultations on the Draft Tourism Bill 2026, marking a key step toward establishing the country’s first comprehensive tourism legislation. Consultations were conducted across major tourism centres including Suva, Sigatoka, Nadi, Rakiraki, Labasa and Savusavu, with particip...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), in partnership with the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) and with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has advanced regional efforts to embed gender equality across the tourism sector with the review of its draft Gender and Inclusive Tourism Action Plan (GITAP) 2026–2030. The initia...

New Caledonia is moving to strengthen the governance and regional positioning of its cultural sector, following a high-level steering committee meeting focused on major events and policy reforms. Mickaël Forrest, the government member in charge of culture, chaired the third meeting of the steering committee for large cultural events at Canala City Hall...

The Government for National Unity and Transformation is reporting renewed momentum in the tourism sector, with four new hotels and accommodation facilities opening in the first quarter of 2026, signalling increased investor confidence and sectoral growth. The new developments include Zaru Hotel in Gizo, Western Province; Double Island Resort and Raider...

The Government has reaffirmed its support for locally driven tourism investment following the launch of a new cruise vessel aimed at expanding Fiji’s premium travel offering. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka officiated at the launch of the MV Yasawa Princess II at Port Denarau in Nadi on 26 March, marking...

The Vanuatu Tourism Office and Tourism Solomons Office have completed their second online refresher training for 2026 under the Pacific Tourism Data Initiative, a regional programme aimed at strengthening tourism data capabilities across Pacific Island countries. Delivered in partnership with the Pacific Tourism Organisation, the week-long training hel...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation has graduated 21 participants from its Online Pasifika Cultural Tourism Training programme, marking a step forward in efforts to strengthen cultural tourism across the region. Participants from eight Pacific countries — Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands and the F...

The Minister for Culture and Tourism, Choylin Douglas, on 13 March officially opened the newly upgraded Raiders Hotel in Tulagi, Gela, Central Islands Province. The opening marks a significant milestone for the hotel’s owners and management and provides a major boost for tourism development in Central Islands Province and the Solomon Islands. The ho...

 Culture and Tourism Minister Choylin Douglas has officially opened the Rua Kokomu Island Resort, also known as Double Island Resort, in Gela, underscoring the Solomon Islands government's push to expand the tourism sector. The luxury resort, owned and operated by the Leong family, was formally opened on March 6 following significant private investment...

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has announced the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) as the National Tourism Organisation (NTO) Regional Leader Sponsor for the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) 2026, to be held from 25–26 March 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Resort & Spa, Nadi. SPTE 2026 will bring together tourism sellers and buyers from across th...