He who plants a tree, plants hope.
This was the statement made by the Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources Faiyaz Koya while officiating International Year for Sustainable Tourism that coincides with World Oceans Day at Yanuca Island this morning.
Koya highlighted that our waterways are choking, seas and oceans have become vast rubbish dumps and we rely on our seas and oceans today and for generations to come, for sustenance and livelihood
.He adds that for this very reason today, they will be planting more than 200 mangrove seedlings, which will depict a Key Area of Focus of the International Year, which is creating an enabling environment at all levels to foster a common goal.
Koya says that implementing the ‘International Year for Sustainable Tourism ’ locally, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism compiled a National Work Programme.
The Tourism Minister says that the National Work Programme is the key implementation initiative which takes into consideration the sustainable development of the tourism sector and highlights the key priorities of planning and conducting tourism activities, as sustainably as possible.
Koya also reiterated Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s statement at the opening of the Oceans Conference that climate change and the state of our oceans cannot be separated and stressed that we are the custodians of the resources for our future generations, hence we need to ensure that the resources are used in a sustainable manner.
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism partnered with the Ministry ofYouth and Sports, Shangri‑La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, and also local communities in planting mangroves that is the first event on the National Work Programme.
