Tourism Fiji has been awarded a prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in the category of Best Use of Emerging Technology in Marketing, in recognition of its groundbreaking project: AI-Powered Destination Marketing: Fiji’s World-First End-to-End AI Ecosystem for the Chinese Market. 
 
The PATA Gold Awards are widely regarded as one of the most rigorous and respected accolades in the Asia‑Pacific travel and tourism industry. Now in their decades‑long history, they recognise outstanding achievements across marketing, sustainability, human capital development, and innovation, with each entry subject to a stringent judging process by a panel of senior industry experts.  
 
Chairperson of the Tourism Fiji Board Ilisapeci Matatolu said this Gold Award is a proud moment for Fiji and a resounding endorsement of our long‑term vision for tourism.

She adds it validates Tourism Fiji’s commitment to investing in smart, sustainable marketing that not only drives immediate results but also builds enduring value for our nation.

“I congratulate the entire Tourism Fiji team especially our China team and our valued partners TikTok and Fliggy, for their collaborative spirit and pioneering mindset. This recognition inspires us to continue pushing boundaries and reinforcing Fiji’s standing as a world‑class destination.” 
 
She adds winning a Gold Award is not merely a mark of excellence. It signals a project that has demonstrated measurable impact, strategic foresight, and the potential to inspire the wider region.

For Tourism Fiji to receive this top honour in the fiercely competitive ‘Emerging Technology’ category underscores the truly transformative nature of its AI ecosystem and places the organisation firmly at the forefront of global destination marketing innovation.

“This landmark achievement marks the first time a national tourism organisation has developed a fully integrated, AI-powered marketing ecosystem that connects travel inspiration, personalised trip planning and real-time booking into a single, seamless consumer journey. By pioneering this end-to-end model specifically for the Chinese outbound market, Tourism Fiji has set a new benchmark for AI-enabled destination marketing across the Asia Pacific region. “
 
Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Fiji Dr. Paresh Pant said this recognition is the culmination of a carefully planned strategic journey. What began as the ‘Exchange the World: Fiji’ creator campaign evolved into deeper collaboration with TikTok on AI-powered travel planning, and with Fliggy on intelligent booking solutions.

“We are honoured that PATA has recognised this pioneering work, and we look forward to returning to China later this year to further strengthen our partnerships and continue enhancing the AI ecosystem.”