Tourism operators from across the South Pacific are gathering in Fiji for the South Pacific Tourism Expo (SPTE) 2025.

Discussions have taken a strong turn toward market diversification, climate resilience, and the strategic purpose of face-to-face engagement in the region’s tourism industry.

Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) CEO Christopher Cocker revealed that this year’s expo is witnessing momentum from Asia, with new interest emerging from markets like India and China.

“We’ve seen a lot of new buyers from the Asian market, particularly India. We’ve seen a larger Chinese presence here, if I counted, probably about 10 or 11 from the Chinese market, and media as well”, he said.

Beyond market growth, climate resilience remains central to the Pacific’s tourism conversation.

General Manager of Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu, Rashmi Tulsiani, highlighted the region’s capacity to recover and adapt following natural disasters.

“We were hit by an earthquake on the 17^th of December which is 7.3 magnitude, and of course a major amount of damage to the city centre which is the lifeline of the entire tourism industry and also to our hotel, which sustained quite a little bit of damage”, she said.

“I think the silverlining and the optimism out there is the people of Vanuatu, that through all these challenges for the last five years, they pick up, move on, with big smiles, and carry on with what they had to do”, she added.

While digital platforms have allowed operators to stay connected, Cocker stressed that SPTE’s in-person format plays a critical role.

“We have move from what we call offline marketing to digital. There is a need to have an event that we’re still physically have face to face meetings, and this is the event that we have for our region”, Cocker said.

A total of 79 regional sellers, and 65 international buyers are currently attending the SPTE 2025.