How can tourism development protect natural assets, support climate action and create long-term benefits for local communities?

The Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu, also known as the Na Vualiku Project, is supporting a more integrated approach to sustainable tourism development in the country’s northern region.

This World Environment Day, the global theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” closely reflects the direction of the Program’s work across Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

Through consultations and planning discussions, communities and stakeholders have consistently highlighted the importance of a tourism future that protects the environment, maintains cultural authenticity and delivers real benefits for local people. This message is central to the Program’s approach.

Inspired by Nature

Vanua Levu and Taveuni’s tourism potential is closely linked to the natural and cultural assets that define the destination. Forests, rivers, reefs, coastlines, cultural sites, towns and community landscapes all contribute to the visitor experience and the wellbeing of local communities.

Through the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, the Program is supporting long-term destination planning that recognises these assets as the foundation for sustainable tourism growth. The Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment is helping identify environmental and social risks early, so future development can be better informed by climate, community and environmental considerations.

For Climate

Climate action is reflected in the way energy, waste, infrastructure and services are planned and delivered.

The Program is exploring solar energy opportunities for selected public sites in Labasa and Savusavu, including high-use public infrastructure. Renewable energy is a practical example of climate action and can support cleaner energy use, stronger essential services and more resilient public infrastructure over time.

The Program is also supporting improved solid waste management planning for the Northern Division. This work is important for cleaner towns, healthier communities, protected natural assets and destination readiness. In parallel, work on infrastructure, cityscape planning, airport planning, road resilience and sanitation is helping strengthen the systems that sustainable tourism depends on.

For Our Future

Sustainable tourism must create opportunities for people. Through support for micro, small and medium enterprises and community-based tourism, the Program is helping strengthen local participation in tourism development.

This matters because climate resilience is also economic resilience. When communities have stronger local enterprises, better services, improved infrastructure and a healthier environment, they are better positioned to benefit from tourism growth and manage future risks.

On World Environment Day, the Na Vualiku Project recognises that the environment is not separate from development. It is the foundation for long-term tourism growth, community wellbeing and climate resilience.

By linking destination planning, environmental and social assessment, renewable energy, waste management, resilient infrastructure and local enterprise support, the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu is helping support a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism future for Fiji’s northern region.

Initiatives such as Drawa’s community-led eco-retreat show the potential of Vanua Levu’s untapped #tourism opportunities, where culture, conservation, and local livelihoods can grow together.

The Na Vualiku Project is working to strengthen sustainable tourism models across Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Our focus is protecting the environment, empowering communities, and building long-term resilience through sustainable tourism development.

Congratulations to the people of Drawa on this important milestone, with the eco-retreat officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. V@iliame Gavoka.

Learn more: https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/historical-drawa-opens-doors-to-eco-tourism-retreat/

#VanuaLevu #SustainableTourism #CommunityTourism 

Photos: Live and Learn Fiji

Communities are clear: tourism must grow in a way that protects people, land, and livelihoods.

More than 120 stakeholders across Labasa, Bua, Savusavu, and Taveuni have validated key findings of the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), highlighting the need to actively manage environmental and social risks as tourism grows.

The SESA is informing tourism development to help protect communities, land, and livelihoods, while ensuring risks are identified early and addressed through planning.

Continue reading on page 2 in our March Newsletter, IMPACT: here (https://navualiku.com/newsletters/)

Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP): Planning for Sustainable Tourism Growth in Vanua Levu and Taveuni

Following the wide consultations held last year, the ITMP team carried out further community engagements across Macuata earlier this year.

Consultations were well attended, with strong representation from community leaders, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Communities are now better informed of the project objectives and phases.

The team noted strong buy-in and ownership, alongside the need to balance tourism opportunities with protecting and preserving natural as well as cultural assets since cultural tourism options are being explored.

Cultural mapping was used during these sessions to systematically document both tangible and intangible cultural assets, including sites of significance, stories, traditions, and traditional knowledge, as well as potential opportunities for kayaking, surfing, trekking, eco-tourism and backpacker sites.

These sessions generated valuable conversations and inputs. In Nadogo District, for example, Kavewa Island Eco Sanctuary has already mapped sites including a turtle nesting site, a Lapita pottery site, and a locally managed marine area. Such information will help strengthen planning, responsible development, and heritage conservation through the ITMP process.

📍Tikina Nasavusavu Council

Strengthening partnerships with community leadership is essential to ensuring tourism development reflects local priorities.

The Na Vualiku Project Local Project Coordinator, Mr. Sara Bulutani, recently engaged with members of the Tikina Nasavusavu Council to discuss key initiatives under the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu and to hear directly from community leaders on priorities shaping the future of tourism in the Northern Division.

The program, designed to strengthen tourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and community-based tourism operators across Vanua Levu and Taveuni, will help with improving business skills, strengthening services, and helping local operators better connect to the tourism market. This in turn will support local enterprise development, create more jobs, and encourage greater participation of communities in the tourism economy.

Several communities had submitted applications and welcomed the opportunity to receive an update on the program and what to expect next.

The engagement also opened discussion on waste management solutions, an important part of ensuring tourism growth is managed sustainably. Council members were invited to help identify suitable land that could be assessed as part of upcoming waste management feasibility studies, helping ensure solutions are practical, community-supported, and aligned with local priorities.

These engagements are essential to ensuring that tourism planning and investments under the Na Vualiku Project are grounded in community voices and local leadership.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #CommunityEngagement #SustainableTourism #NorthernDivision

🌿 Tourism growth must protect what matters most to communities. That is why the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment is critical in helping ensure that future tourism development safeguards land, livelihoods, culture, and the natural environment, while supporting sustainable economic opportunities.

📍 Following extensive engagement last year, the Na Vualiku Project recently reconvened stakeholders in Labasa, Nabouwalu, Savusavu, and Taveuni to present the results of the assessment and invite feedback to help validate and strengthen the findings. 

🤝 These sessions brought together a range of stakeholders, including community representatives and private sector participants such as tourism MSMEs and community-based tourism operators, to review key insights and share perspectives on environmental and social priorities that should guide tourism planning across Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

📝 The feedback gathered will help refine the final recommendations and inform the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, ensuring that future tourism investments reflect community priorities and strong environmental and social safeguards.

🌏 Through engagements like these, the Na Vualiku Project continues to ensure that tourism planning for the Northern Division is shaped by community voices and local knowledge.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #Taveuni #SESA #SustainableTourism #CommunityEngagement

Feature image: The Great White Wall, located on Fiji’s Rainbow Reef in the Somosomo Strait, is a world-renowned dive site famous for its vertical drop-off covered in luminous white soft corals (Dendronephthya). Photo: Taveuni Tourism Association

Discover how the Na Vualiku Project is shaping the future of tourism in Vanua Levu and Taveuni! Through a series of dynamic workshops, community voices are coming together to define a shared vision for sustainable tourism that reflects local aspirations. Participants, including community representatives and tourism operators, are mapping existing assets and identifying new opportunities while prioritizing the protection of natural and cultural treasures. Join us in exploring how these collaborative efforts will guide the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, ensuring that tourism development supports local livelihoods and fosters economic growth. Dive into the details and be part of this transformative journey!

Second ITMP Advisory Group Meeting: Advancing the Integrated Tourism Master Plan for Vanua Levu and Taveuni

The second meeting of the Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP) Advisory Group was held this month, bringing together key stakeholders to review progress and provide strategic guidance for the development of the Integrated Tourism Master Plan for Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

🗂️ The Advisory Group plays an important oversight role in the planning process, ensuring that community consultations, technical assessments, and sector priorities are properly reflected as the Plan is developed.

💬 Discussions focused on feedback from recent community engagements, emerging planning directions, and the integration of environmental and social considerations to support responsible, sustainable tourism growth.

🌿 Why this matters: strong governance and informed oversight help ensure the final Plan is practical, locally grounded, and aligned with the long-term interests of Vanua Levu.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #ITMP #TourismPlanning #SustainableDevelopment

Tourism opportunities in Vanua Levu are expanding. The challenge is ensuring growth is carefully planned so communities benefit, risks are managed early, and the region’s cultural and natural assets are protected.

The #NaVualikuProject team met with Divisional Planning Officer Ms Ruci Daveta to align local priorities with long-term tourism planning.

Teams engaged to develop the Integrated Tourism Master Plan were present to listen and accurately capture divisional priorities, including the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment team reinforcing environmental and social safeguards within the planning process. 

This approach ensures the Plan reflects what matters most to communities and stakeholders across Vanua Levu.

#NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #TourismPlanning #SustainableDevelopment

Private sector investment is key to unlocking the full tourism potential of Vanua Levu.

Business leaders, entrepreneurs, and local officials met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hon. Viliame Gavoka, together with Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region, Gallina A. Vincelette, World Bank Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services, and Sarvesh Suri, IFC Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific over a Business Leaders lunch at Nawi Island to discuss how sustainable tourism can drive jobs, investment, and long-term growth in the Northern Division.

Through our 10-year, US$200M Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu #NaVualikuProject will strengthen infrastructure and create an enabling environment that helps crowd in private investment, grow businesses, and expand economic opportunities across Vanua Levu.

NaVualiku #VanuaLevu #PrivateSector #TourismDevelopment