Fiji Times, May 7 – FIJI’S Ministry of Indusry, Trade and Tourism received a donation of $50,000 from Carpenters Fiji Ltd and $20,000 from Vodafone Fiji this week, respectively, to assist the Government’s preparatory work to host the 30th United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP) and Commission for South Asia (CSA) Meeting.
Minister responsible Faiyaz Koya acknowledged the assistance and commitment shown by the two corporate organisations.
“This is truly encouraging and I sincerely thank Carpenters Fiji Limited and Vodafone Fiji Limited for coming out and supporting us in hosting the 30th United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP) and Commission for South Asia (CSA) Meeting, in conjunction with the UNWTO Regional Seminar,” Mr Koya said in a Government statement issued this evening.
He said Fiji won the bid to host this prestigious convention in Madrid, Spain, and with the preparations well underway, Fiji would be the first Pacific Island country to host this event in the region.
“With the seminar’s theme on Climate Change, it goes well in line with our COP 23 Presidency. Therefore, this event is extremely important to us and we need all the support we can get in making this event a successful one. Government cannot always do this alone and having a private-public partnership with stakeholders bring out the best of what our country can offer.”
Vodafone Fiji Limited CEO Pradeep Lal said that with the tourism industry being the country’s largest foreign exchange earner and a significant contributor to the Fijian economy, it was critical that the industry received support in forming a stronger platform for growth in achieving the Tourism 2021 (Plan).
Carpenters Fiji Retail/Marketing Sabaratnam Kunasaleen said they were happy to be part of such an event and they would always be at the forefront to support the development of Fiji’s tourism industry.
The meeting is scheduled from June 18-20 at the Sheraton Fiji Resort & Spa in Nadi.
Delegates attending the event include Tourism ministers, senior government officials, industry practitioners and tourism experts from countries such as China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and India, among others.
