The establishment of the Fijian Code of Conduct for tourism service providers will set a good and ethical standard in the tourism sector.

Permanent Secretary for Tourism, Shaheen Ali says the guideline was initiated in 2018 and aims to improve service delivery.

Ali adds frameworks such as the Codes of Conduct must be actioned and should not only exist on paper.

“It looks at your role in interaction such as making all reasonable efforts to protect staff and visitors during emergencies, maintaining honesty, integrity, and professionalism in how you sell your product, providing visitors with objective and honest information, and dealing in good faith, and ensuring cultural and village protocols are observed in interactions with host communities, being conscious of impacts on the environment.”

Ali says this framework also echoes the need for tourism service providers to promote sustainable tourism practices and respect the rights of individuals.

He adds that they will ensure everyone, including tourism operators and communities take ownership and responsibility of this guideline.

The Fijian Code of Conduct for Tourism Service Providers is expected to be finalized soon and will be implemented on a voluntary basis.