FHTA Tourism Talanoa: Sustainability in Focus

Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, 31 October 2024 – What we’re doing to ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry.

After two years of intense planning, coordination, and anticipation of our tradeshow; HOTEC 2024 was delivered with a resounding success.

Bringing this tradeshow to life required more than just effort—it took a shared vision for the future of Fiji’s hospitality and tourism sectors that addressed its challenges, offered opportunities and considered the direction this tenacious industry is moving.

This year’s theme, “Sustainability in Focus,” wasn’t just a tagline; it was woven into every aspect of the event, a reminder of our collective commitment to the resilient, eco-conscious and competitive future for our industry.

Planning a tradeshow of this scale, especially after a few challenging years, demanded both strategic thinking and unyielding dedication.

From the outset, our little team at the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) was driven by a clear goal: to create an event that showcased Fiji’s potential and fostered meaningful change in how we approach sustainability.

We coordinated closely with key partners, sponsors, and stakeholders, orchestrating everything from impactful competitions to complex logistics.

The success of HOTEC 2024 was also built on invaluable collaborations with industry allies across the Pacific and beyond.

This included support from Austrade, Trade and Investment Queensland, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the ACT and NSW Governments, Pacific Trade Invest Australia and Palmex International, who helped us create a rich platform for learning and networking.

Together we connected exhibitors who were looking to expand into the Pacific and who would also address supply gaps with industry leaders and key decision-makers that would help develop sustainable ideas into action.

The energy and commitment from everyone involved reaffirmed that we are definitely on the right path towards a sustainable and prosperous future for Fiji.

It represented a forward-looking vision, that aligned with Fiji’s Vision 2050 and the sustainable goals laid out in the National Sustainable Tourism Framework.

One that we recognise is a critical cornerstone of our future.

We looked for local and international suppliers that could address our key concerns on enhancing value offerings, lifting security services, providing better luxury or high end products, replacing outdated technology, offering wider selections, better comfort levels and wide ranges of renewable energy options.

Exhibitors showcased eco-friendly practices, and every display from culinary contests to cocktail creations, embraced locally-sourced ingredients, highlighting the richness of our islands while minimizing environmental impact where practical.

The ability to match these local ingredients with imported fresh produce that is not available here, or is not available in the quantity, quality or consistency they are demanded in, got many hospitality people very excited.

It should be noted at this point just what these items are for our farmers, fishers, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries, Biosecurity, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Tourism to be more aware of. Items that are in high demand, are produced in Fiji but not yet meeting the industry’s specific demands.

They include avocados, beef and beef products, prawns, pork and pork products, dairy (butter, quality cheeses, fresh milk, yoghurt, cream products), fresh mushrooms (button, portobello, shitake), fish, fresh fruit and other vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage varieties, capsicum, etc) and root crops (cassava, kumala).

What is ignored or not considered is the increase in demand from exports (to cater to the increasing demand from the Fijian diaspora around the world), from manufacturing (dalo, cassava & kumala chips, vegetables and frozen or canned produce), and then the increasing demand from tourism that is trying to offer local food on menus but cannot keep this consistent or at a high quality.

The result is a hybrid of mixing local produce when available and substituting imported produce to maintain consistently stable menu delivery, meet targeted budgets and manage visitor expectations.

Feedback from exhibitors has been fantastic.

They were thrilled with the opportunity to network meaningfully, display innovative products, and connect with people who truly shape the industry.

We saw a turnout of high-level decision-makers whose presence amplified the show’s value and facilitated real growth opportunities for exhibitors and attendees alike, and who were joined by interested tourism stakeholders or other suppliers that were also interested to see where trends were heading, what they might be missing out on and even where they might be able to influence their own teams to consider and select better choices.

The side events made the tradeshow even richer.

Information sessions provided insight into best practices, wine tastings were fun and informal, while the sponsored cocktail evenings gave everyone a chance to connect, unwind and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere that provided the opportunity to get a taste of New Zealand and Australian products.

The chef, barista, and cocktail competitions were not only exciting showcases of talent that often took on some serious focus, but were a tribute to the power of available local products and sustainable practices.

These competitions highlighted that sustainability is not just a theme; it’s an approach we’re embedding in every part of our work.

Our competition partners played significant roles in bringing these competitions from around the region to culminate in the finals at HOTEC 2024. They included APTC who worked with us to design micro-credential training for staff without qualifications to use as upskilling building blocks, the South Pacific Coffee Company who provided training, equipment and resources to develop critical barrister confidence and passion, Finest Liquor, Triple 3, Fiji Gas and Punjas for the product support that these competitions and confidence development elements provide to our younger or less experienced staff to be more innovative and dream bigger.

There were competitions, information sessions, demonstrations and masterclasses sharing expertise on sustainable tourism, providing practical insights and opening up a world of options when it comes to all things coffee – cold, hot, iced, infused, defused and reused. l even learnt key tips on how to make the perfect cheesecake!

A quick check with almost every exhibitor had a positive success story to confirm – exciting new leads were gained, contracts were being confirmed, side discussions were taking place to explore business connections and new investments were taking shape.

We aim to continue creating a brighter, more sustainable support system for our industry. One that recognises that while we wholeheartedly support local products that require a level of sophistication that has not taken place except in very specific areas, these must be bolstered by imports that provide the confidence for quality and consistency of delivery.

These often also provide the required reminder of where we must enhance our technical skills in agriculture, aquaculture and even floriculture.

We do so while embracing local talent that often needs a helping hand to connect to the right upskilling opportunities, and we need to venture out of our comfort zones and into the regions, the maritime islands and rural areas to find this amazing talent.

For those who couldn’t join us this year, you missed an extraordinary experience that showcased the very best of Fiji’s hospitality and tourism industry and where it is going.

But here’s the exciting news: as soon as we closed the book on HOTEC 2024, we began planning for HOTEC 2026.

We’re building on everything we achieved this year, pushing our vision even further to make the next event even more dynamic, insightful, and impactful.

The foundation has been laid, and we’re determined to make HOTEC 2026 an even bigger milestone for our industry.

In the meantime, watch out for news on how we roll out the “Journey to HOTEC 2026” which starts next year with a series of training and competition events in cooking and other hospitality skills.

There will be over 1,000 more hotel rooms by then – so there’s no time to be sitting still.
Fantasha Lockington – CEO, FHTA (Published in the Fiji Times on 31 October 2024)