The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is focusing on the tourism sector and has big plans to work with major countries in the Pacific region like Australia and Fiji.

Speaking at the Fiji Australia Business Council meeting over the weekend IFC Country Manager Pacific Gavin Murray says they have been working closely with Fiji over the past few years.

“We have a regional programme on strengthening financial infrastructure. It’s actually the only thing that we have been working with Fiji on for the last five years. It’s a regional payment systems programme and credit programme and we’re building on what Fiji has and leveraging that out to the rest of the Pacific.”

IFC is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset management services to encourage private sector development in developing countries like Fiji.

Murray says they are also paying closer attention to the tourism sector in the Pacific; in particular cruise ships.

“We are now through a partnership with Australia working with carnival cruises to look at how to build on that opportunity; cruise tourism is booming and its one of the fastest growing sector in tourism in the Pacific and it’s something we didn’t think of three years ago.”

They are also looking at providing other smaller island nations with services from businesses in Fiji.

The annual two-day Fiji Australia Business Council was held at the GPH in Suva.