How Fiji Is Leading the Way on Tourism-led Sustainability

For anyone who has ever traveled far and wanted to give back in a direct and meaningful way, Fiji might just have the answer. The island nation just unveiled a country-wide sustainability initiative—Loloma Hour—to encourage all visitors to donate one hour of their trip to engage in projects ranging from reef preservation to sustaining local communities, all from the comfort of their vacation.

Fiji, which is comprised of over 330 islands, is far from just about everywhere. Yet despite its relative isolation, tourism to the Pacific Island country is only growing increasingly popular. In 2024, the country welcomed one million visitors for the very first time, a nearly 6 percent increase from visitors the previous year. And with a recently launched direct route from Dallas, the destination is more accessible to American travelers than ever before.

With the positives of travel—the connections, the new horizons, and the lasting memories—also come the realties. In addition to an increased carbon footprint for tourism, Fiji faces persistent environmental challenges such as microplastic pollution and degradation to the Cakaulevu Reef, which is the third largest continuous barrier reef in the world.

With Loloma Hour, Fiji is hoping to marry tourism and sustainability in a impactful way, harnessing the country’s increased popularity into a force for good, and utilizing the excitement and positivity guests feel when visiting, as well as the frequent wish to engage in something deeper than a beach vacation.

Loloma Hour is designed to be like a happy hour for the soul. “In the wake of the pandemic, we witnessed a meaningful shift in traveler behavior,” Srishti Narayan, the chief marketing officer with Tourism Fiji, told Travel + Leisure. “People began seeking more purposeful, responsible experiences that leave a positive impact.”

The initiative was deeply influenced by feedback from travelers and conversations with local communities. And while visitors who have been moved by their past trips to Fiji have unofficially been giving back to the country through community donations, there has never been an official, unified way to harness the spirit of wanting to give back through tourism.

Over 20 partners, from boutique hotels and dive lodges to resorts and individual tour operators, have partnered together to launch the initiative and offer tangible, accessible, adventurous, and enjoyable ways for guests to give back. Activities will fall under four key pillars of contribution: Giving Back to Wildlife, Giving Back to the Community, Giving Back to the Coastline, and Giving Back to the Reef.

Loloma Hour experiences are tailored to their location, and guests can choose from activities ranging from coral gardening with the resident marine biologists at Kokomo Private Island, guided tours of salt and oil making processes at Viani Bay Resort, mangrove planting at Shangri-La Yanuca Island, Fiji, Fijian Crested Iguana counting and conservation at Six Senses Fiji, shark diving at Barefoot Kuata Island Resort, beach cleanups at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, and clam farming at Viani Bay Resort.

And while guests are asked to give just one hour of their time, Fiji is betting on the collective power of that time, multiplied by the million visitors to its shores. “This isn’t just about the hour,” Narayan said. “It’s about the mindset it encourages.”

The goal is to add more partners to the program, and in the first year, Tourism Fiji is hoping to account for at least 5,000 hours spent toward sustainability initiatives. And whatever the activity, the hope is visitors will form a connection with the country that will exist long after their trip has ended.

On a country-wide level, Loloma represents Fiji’s commitment to investing in its own environment in a way that can work in harmony, not in contrast, to its growing tourism sector. On a global level it can inspire travelers to see their role in the larger picture of environmental sustainability.

“Our vision is that this spirit of giving, of meaningful connection and cultural respect, spreads across the Pacific,” Narayan said. “If we can inspire similar programs in neighboring island nations, then together we can protect the very things that draw travelers here in the first place: our culture, our people, and our natural environment.”

And that’s something worth traveling for.