Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, 25 July 2024 – The tourism industry thrives on its reputation for providing positive experiences that leave lasting memories and hopefully influence visitors to return for more of the same next time.
Sun-drenched days soaking up a range of cultural and exploratory excursions, and balmy nights that call for exotic cocktails and adventurous culinary experiences create the holiday images everyone back home is enviously waiting for.
However, the reality of operating in a tropical environment means that paradise can often do a complete transformation where the weather can be unpredictable, or even downright nasty; making it crucial for the tourism sector to stay constantly informed and prepared for these changes.
Favourable weather conditions are the lifeblood of Fiji’s tourism, with sunny days essential for beach and marine activities and the more obvious use of outdoor spaces for events like weddings and other special occasions.
Well, why wouldn’t you take advantage of all that natural Vitamin D spiked natural light, clean fresh air and heavenly seascapes? Or enjoy a backdrop of magical sunsets with a sandy beach for your dancefloor?
The nutrient-rich waters around our over 300 islands attract snorkelling, sailing, diving, and water sports enthusiasts globally. The inland terrain that offers opportunities for exploration through trekking, culture, shopping, food and adventure sports all rely on connectivity and logistics that guarantee varying degrees of safety and reliability.
When the weather cooperates, road, water and air transportation runs smoothly and safely for the most part, with scheduled services operating on time so itineraries can be followed, people can check in and out of the different options they’ve booked and confirmed for, and generally life for the visitor and the tourism services being provided can run as smoothly as marketed and therefore expected.
When the weather or climate-related conditions assert themselves into these usually sunny, blue skies through adverse weather conditions such as sudden tropical cyclones or heavy rainfall; this can significantly impact these activities, making water sports unsafe, cancelling excursions, and causing road closures and flight delays.
FHTA prioritizes weather awareness to foster a resilient tourism sector that can adapt to most conditions by constantly staying ahead of weather developments and works closely with the Fiji Met Services (FMS) people and other informed networks to share critical information.
This proactive approach involves monitoring weather patterns, having contingency plans, arranging alternative indoor activities during storms, and ensuring transportation services are equipped to handle delays.
Collaboration with met services to access accurate weather information is crucial, enabling informed decisions that safeguard both tourists and the industry.
The latest Ocean Outlook from the Fiji Met Service indicates that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently neutral but is expected to transition to La Niña conditions from August to October 2024.
This change can significantly influence weather patterns, often bringing cooler and drier conditions to the region, although we have only seen less cooler and slightly wetter conditions lately – unless you’re in the Yasawa Islands, around the Rakiraki Sun Coast area or further North in Vanua Levu.
Forecasts predict above-normal sea surface temperatures across most of Fiji’s waters, which can impact weather patterns and marine life.
The 29°C convergence zone is expected to be positioned closer to Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), potentially affecting local weather patterns and marine conditions.
Rainfall conditions have been mixed, with some areas experiencing extremely dry conditions while others have seen unusually wet weather.
Sad for Suva people who are probably indifferent about the rain by now, but strange for the Western division where it should be cooler but isn’t, although the intermittent rain while also unexpected is welcomed if you were lucky enough to get it.
At a recent forum on weather warnings and preparedness, we also raised our concern that drought conditions were not addressed with the same focus or importance as cyclones and flooding.
We believe we are therefore missing an opportunity to increase awareness at a national level for what could be more widely practised water conservation practices that would support us to be more resilient to drought conditions by employing strategies to conserve water in homes, agricultural or industrial processes, access new water sources, and manage drought on a watershed level.
Until we address this at a policy level and agree on what these strategies might look like (noting that some of our regional and bigger neighbours already practice this well); the focus will remain on improving data collection and information dissemination on what are considered more prevalent and therefore dangerous issues like tropical cyclones, rising sea levels and heavy rainfalls resulting in more frequent flooding.
For most Pacific Island Countries (PICs) the often catastrophic destruction experienced from these weather phenomena that we are consistently warned are increasing in frequency and intensity, along with many ocean-related negative impacts of global warming, are the key focus areas.
Recent sea level projections, for example, indicate that Rotuma might experience below-normal sea levels, while the rest of Fiji is expected to maintain near-normal sea levels.
Additionally, the coral bleaching outlook for the next several weeks is at a ‘No Stress’ level, indicating that Fiji’s coral reefs are not currently at risk of bleaching due to thermal stress – happier than the usually expected data that the opposite is happening.
Understanding these weather outlooks is crucial for anticipating and preparing for conditions that impact the tourism sector. Other sectors would also be impacted including manufacturing, agriculture, construction and others, with the eventual impacts also affecting education, general commercial activity and the ability for many communities to access clean drinking water and food sources.
While impact-based weather products and early warning systems which focus on how weather conditions will affect specific activities and sectors can enhance safety, improve decision-making, and promote a resilient and enjoyable experience for our visitors, therefore, we are interested in being part of the consultation process that is taking place; we believe the greater impact of being better prepared to substantially reduce the historical cost to PIC economies including Fiji on an almost annual basis, would allow this budgeted for the (and often insufficient) economic burden to be used to improve medical services, education and infrastructure for the wider population who are usually the most vulnerable.
Being proactive in response to these forecasts ensures that Fiji can continue to better prepare for climate disasters – whether this is building back stronger, adopting more resilient practices, or planning our infrastructure with these in mind
Today, FHTA and its members join FMS, the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Hydrological Research Center at their workshop on “Impact-Based Weather Products for Tourism in Fiji” which aims to bring together key players in the sector.
The focus is on developing and implementing weather products specifically designed to better meet the needs of an industry where safety is key to protecting its brand, which can in turn continue to drive economic progress at the pace it can, with the use of products that could enhance current resilient practices and planning time for disasters to reduce their negative impacts.
Attendees will learn directly from experts about how these products can help them make informed decisions and be better prepared for various weather scenarios.
The primary objectives of this initiative are to enhance safety and preparedness, improve decision-making, and promote sustainable tourism practices.
To achieve these goals, the workshop will foster engagement among stakeholders, including tourism operators, meteorological agencies, and local authorities to develop weather forecasts that are not just accurate but also highly relevant to the sectors that rely so heavily on this information, data and projection accuracy.
Capacity building and technology integration are important elements of developing a user-friendly platform that provides real-time access to weather impact information and alerts designed to be easily accessible and understandable, allowing users to quickly obtain the information they need to make more informed decisions.
Being weather-ready in tourism goes beyond just checking the forecast; it’s about ensuring the safety and preparedness of operators in this space for their staff, guests and the communities they are inextricably linked to.
And the ability to get back to work as soon as it is safe to do so.
This proactive approach addresses minimizing disruptions, supports safety processes, and promotes sustainable tourism by helping the sector quickly adapt to weather changes and recover faster from adverse conditions.
This means fewer economic losses and a faster business continuity and stability return.
Mother Nature might be serene and beautiful for the most part but recognising and being better prepared for whenever she’s having a terrible day saves lives, protects communities, supports a globally recognised tourism product and allows us to get on with our lives again a lot faster while saving us a world of pain and a lot of money later.
Fantasha Lockington – CEO, FHTA (Published in the Fiji Times on 25 July 2024)
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