The Tourism Action Group has been reactivated to protect Fiji’s tourism sector from emerging global threats, particularly the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
This was highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka, during his ministerial statement in Parliament.
He stresses the group was reactivated on 19 March this year following intensifying global risks, including disrupted aviation routes, rising fuel costs, and declining travel confidence linked to the Middle East conflict.
He says despite strong current performance, with 71,765 visitor arrivals recorded in March, a 12.4 percent increase compared with last year, and a record 986,367 visitors in 2025 generating $2.81 billion in earnings, Gavoka warned that Fiji must act proactively.
He says competing destinations in South-East Asia are preparing aggressive campaigns targeting key markets such as Australia and New Zealand.
Insert:Gavoka on TAG 28th April
Gavoka stresses that tourism contributes more than 40 percent to Fiji’s GDP and remains the country’s primary source of foreign exchange, adding that tourism funds essential imports, fuel, infrastructure and services.
He clarifies that TAG is not a permanent body, but an activation mechanism — a pre-arranged coalition of government and private sector stakeholders convened during crises, with its strength lying in speed, unity and reach.
The group includes Tourism Fiji, Fiji Airways, the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, inbound tour operators, and key government ministries.
Gavoka says TAG was first formed following the 1987 coups in Fiji, when tourism collapsed and the economy contracted sharply. It was later instrumental during the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, which saw a 30 per cent drop in visitor arrivals, more than 7,000 job losses, and a projected 30 per cent economic contraction.
He adds that TAG also played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global travel came to a standstill.
Gavoka says coordinated efforts through TAG led to a 42 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in the decade following the 2000 crisis.
Looking ahead, Gavoka stresses the Government wants TAG to evolve beyond crisis response by strengthening its advisory role, expanding planning capacity, and including more voices — particularly small operators, community-based tourism providers, and stakeholders from outside major centres.
Gavoka stresses Fiji is targeting 1.25 million visitors and $4 billion in tourism earnings by 2027, adding that this will require unified and strategic action.
Meanwhile, responding to Gavoka, Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya welcomed the move, describing TAG as a tried and tested mechanism that removes fragmentation and ensures co-ordinated decision-making.
Koya highlights TAG’s role during the pandemic, when Fiji’s tourism industry came to a complete standstill with border closures and grounded flights, noting that collaboration between the Government and the private sector helped the country reopen early and revive the sector.
He says global tensions, particularly in the Middle East, pose serious risks and require a co-ordinated response, adding that stakeholders, including Fiji Airways, must work together to manage challenges such as fuel supply and operational efficiency.
Koya says TAG provides certainty to the global market by showing that Fiji is organised, co-ordinated and ready, which is critical for maintaining investor and traveller confidence.
