Give back while you travel: Fiji's ‘Loloma Hour' invites visitors to help protect paradise
ADVERTISEMENT
Forget your average happy hour. Fiji wants travellers to trade sundowners for something more meaningful.
The Pacific Island nation's 'Loloma Hour' invites visitors to spend at least one hour of their trip giving back to the environment or local communities.
Whether it's replanting mangroves, taking part in a beach clean-up or learning to make traditional crafts alongside Fijian villagers, the goal is simple: leave the islands better than you found them.
'True happiness comes not just from what you take, but what you give,' says Srishti Narayan, chief marketing officer at Tourism Fiji.
What is Loloma Hour?
'Loloma' is a Fijian word meaning generosity driven by love, and the new programme reflects that spirit.
Rolled out across dozens of
eco-minded
hotels, resorts and tour operators, Loloma Hour is part of Fiji's wider strategy to preserve its cultural
heritage
and natural ecosystems while creating meaningful exchanges between travellers and locals.
Related
Looking to travel more sustainably? Sweden, Finland and Austria are the places to go to
Bali floats steep daily tourist tax amid concerns over mass tourism and unruly visitors
The initiative supports activities that align with four key pillars: wildlife conservation, community support,
reef protection
and coastline care. Guests might join a coral planting session, participate in iguana conservation walks, take part in reef-safe snorkelling or attend a village storytelling event.
The aim is for tourists to contribute at least 5,000 volunteer hours across the country this year.
Tourism with purpose is on the rise
Fiji's bet on mindful travel taps into a growing trend.
According to a 2023 Booking.com survey, 76 per cent of global travellers say they want to travel more sustainably.
In
Europe
, the demand is especially high, and operators are answering the call. Five of the 10 most sustainable destinations in 2024 were in Europe, according to
Lonely Planet
, and destinations like the Faroe Islands and Normandy
have been praised
for pioneering community-based and regenerative tourism programmes.
From Thailand to
Greenland
, tourism boards and private operators alike have started rethinking everything from
interactions with wildlife
to
diving excursions
to make them more purposeful.
Related
Could Croatia be the most sustainable travel destination in Europe? Its tourism minister hopes so
One night on this exclusive private island in the Maldives could cost more than €100,000
Among them, Fiji's Loloma Hour stands out for its cultural framing – rooted in love rather than obligation.
But it also has a deeper meaning. The Pacific Islands are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, pressed with rising sea levels, coral bleaching and extreme weather events. With tourism making up about 40 per cent of Fiji's GDP, turning tourism into a tool for change isn't just good policy. It might also be essential for the country's future.
Where guests can get involved
From five-star hideaways to barefoot eco-resorts, 21 properties across Fiji are currently taking part in Loloma Hour – each offering different activities.
ADVERTISEMENT
At Six Senses Fiji, guests can swim through
coral
nurseries with experts, plant native trees or tour the resort's organic gardens. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort offers marine education sessions led by in-house biologists.
On islands like Malolo and Wakaya, guests can document vulnerable manta ray populations while diving or join
mangrove
replanting sessions and beach clean-ups.
'Loloma Hour gives visitors a chance to help preserve what makes Fiji so special – its people, environment and traditions,' says Narayan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
14-04-2025
- Euronews
Give back while you travel: Fiji's ‘Loloma Hour' invites visitors to help protect paradise
ADVERTISEMENT Forget your average happy hour. Fiji wants travellers to trade sundowners for something more meaningful. The Pacific Island nation's 'Loloma Hour' invites visitors to spend at least one hour of their trip giving back to the environment or local communities. Whether it's replanting mangroves, taking part in a beach clean-up or learning to make traditional crafts alongside Fijian villagers, the goal is simple: leave the islands better than you found them. 'True happiness comes not just from what you take, but what you give,' says Srishti Narayan, chief marketing officer at Tourism Fiji. What is Loloma Hour? 'Loloma' is a Fijian word meaning generosity driven by love, and the new programme reflects that spirit. Rolled out across dozens of eco-minded hotels, resorts and tour operators, Loloma Hour is part of Fiji's wider strategy to preserve its cultural heritage and natural ecosystems while creating meaningful exchanges between travellers and locals. Related Looking to travel more sustainably? Sweden, Finland and Austria are the places to go to Bali floats steep daily tourist tax amid concerns over mass tourism and unruly visitors The initiative supports activities that align with four key pillars: wildlife conservation, community support, reef protection and coastline care. Guests might join a coral planting session, participate in iguana conservation walks, take part in reef-safe snorkelling or attend a village storytelling event. The aim is for tourists to contribute at least 5,000 volunteer hours across the country this year. Tourism with purpose is on the rise Fiji's bet on mindful travel taps into a growing trend. According to a 2023 survey, 76 per cent of global travellers say they want to travel more sustainably. In Europe , the demand is especially high, and operators are answering the call. Five of the 10 most sustainable destinations in 2024 were in Europe, according to Lonely Planet , and destinations like the Faroe Islands and Normandy have been praised for pioneering community-based and regenerative tourism programmes. From Thailand to Greenland , tourism boards and private operators alike have started rethinking everything from interactions with wildlife to diving excursions to make them more purposeful. Related Could Croatia be the most sustainable travel destination in Europe? Its tourism minister hopes so One night on this exclusive private island in the Maldives could cost more than €100,000 Among them, Fiji's Loloma Hour stands out for its cultural framing – rooted in love rather than obligation. But it also has a deeper meaning. The Pacific Islands are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, pressed with rising sea levels, coral bleaching and extreme weather events. With tourism making up about 40 per cent of Fiji's GDP, turning tourism into a tool for change isn't just good policy. It might also be essential for the country's future. Where guests can get involved From five-star hideaways to barefoot eco-resorts, 21 properties across Fiji are currently taking part in Loloma Hour – each offering different activities. ADVERTISEMENT At Six Senses Fiji, guests can swim through coral nurseries with experts, plant native trees or tour the resort's organic gardens. The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort offers marine education sessions led by in-house biologists. On islands like Malolo and Wakaya, guests can document vulnerable manta ray populations while diving or join mangrove replanting sessions and beach clean-ups. 'Loloma Hour gives visitors a chance to help preserve what makes Fiji so special – its people, environment and traditions,' says Narayan.
Euronews
03-03-2025
- Euronews
The Big Question: How will AI transform the travel industry?
Did you know that tourism accounts for 10% of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP), according to the European Parliament? Statista also estimates that revenue for the EU-27 travel and tourism market will hit $220.1 billion (€210.3bn) in 2025. The rebound in travel following the pandemic has driven much of the sector's gains in the past few years. Glenn Fogel, CEO of says: 'We have just seen such incredible desire to travel. You can actually see it, how much people want to travel because as soon as a country opened up, people would just jump to travel. So we got a big, big boost for the first few years of coming out of Covid. That desire to travel, it never ends. 'Now, of course, the question is, is it going to continue or not? And sometimes people talk about, 'Well, prices are so high, so will people be able to travel or is there going to be a recession and people won't have the money to travel?'' In this episode of The Big Question, Glenn sat down with Angela Barnes to discuss the issues shaping the travel sector: sustainable tourism, overtourism and the wildest future trends. Balancing sustainability with profitability With an increased focus on sustainability in the travel sector, travel companies and their partners are facing more hurdles in maintaining profit margins while increasing sustainability options for consumers. Fogel emphasises: 'Sustainability is critical for the future of our industry. Our mission is to make it easier for everybody to experience the world. If the world isn't worth experiencing, that's not going to be good for travel.' Rapidly changing and often overlapping regulations are also posing barriers to profitability in the travel sector, by forcing companies to invest significant time and resources in working out how to adhere to them. EU regulations such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) have contributed to higher costs and more cumbersome processes for European companies like unlike other global competitors like Google, which are far bigger and can more efficiently handle overlapping policies as well as rapid regulatory changes. Other non-EU travel companies, often as big as also don't have to adhere to EU regulations. That significantly affects ability to compete with them, while also seeming to 'punish' other successful European travel companies and the domestic travel sector as a whole. Regarding those competitors, Fogel says: 'They don't have their engineers dealing with the regulations. Their engineers are creating better services for their consumers. So my thinking is: Why did we come up with this? We're going to make things harder for the European companies to compete against the global travel industry.' How is AI likely to change travel? Artificial intelligence tools such as AI trip planner, help travellers with more personalised itineraries, while also providing more customer support. However, Fogel notes: 'What's more important though, in the future is a thing called agentic AI and that's an area where the computer is doing the work for you. So instead of you having to be typing into the browser or the app all the information and going through it, it's doing it for you.' Agentic AI is likely to allow the entire travel industry network, from consumer to supplier and the partners in between to coordinate through their own AI agents and plan travel solutions. This will, unfortunately, be likely to lead to job losses, particularly in the customer service area. 'The future is not supersonic but hypersonic' Coming to the future of travel, Fogel said: 'But what's really interesting in the future is not supersonic but hypersonic. And where you actually are going into the edge of space and you'll be able to do a trip from, say, London to Australia in a fraction of the time it takes now to do that. Now, will it happen or not? Who knows? Part of the issue is sustainability.' He clarified that hypersonic travel is unlikely to be introduced in the next decade and that has no investment in it currently. However, the company would be likely to add it to its inventory if and when tickets for hypersonic travel are available for sale. Fogel also highlighted that will not be providing private jets for ultra luxury travel, saying: 'That's not something that we do and we have no plan to do it. It's a very, very small segment and it's not very sustainable.'
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Euronews
Survival of the smallest: How SMEs keep Europe's travel sector thriving
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of Europe's travel and tourism sector – their competitiveness matters now more than ever How big is €1.73 trillion? It's nearly the size of Spain's economy, larger than the Netherlands', and not far behind Italy. But this isn't a national figure – it's the economic contribution of Europe's travel and tourism sector in 2024. Making up 10 per cent of the EU's total GDP, it remains an underappreciated powerhouse, defying economic headwinds. This vital industry is made up of literally millions of small and medium enterprises (SMEs and MSMEs). Every day, they innovate and inspire, delivering prosperity to the local communities and creating unforgettable experiences for visitors. Together, they make Europe not just a destination, but a living, breathing cultural magnet that continues to captivate the world. Yet, in an increasingly competitive and globalised environment, SMEs face mounting challenges – from rising costs and regulatory burdens to the growing market power of chain hotels. For the travel sector to meet ambitious forecasts of €3 trillion by 2034, European decision-makers must first recognise the critical role of small businesses and prioritise policies that empower their growth and resilience. Below we delve deeper into the key factors that will define success for hospitality SMEs over the coming years. The 'revenge travel' aftermath The summer of 2023 marked the peak of 'revenge travel' with global tourism spending outpacing GDP growth seven to one. This recovery, fed by pent-up demand and a renewed appreciation for travel, has helped Europe's tourism industry bounce back from the pandemic. According to the latest European Accommodation Barometer, optimism persists. While in 2022, 17 per cent of European hoteliers expressed negative expectations for their short-term futures, by 2024 this figure dropped to just 4 per cent, with 65 per cent of accommodations witnessing strong business development. In the first half of 2024, the European Union recorded 1.2 billion tourism nights – an increase of 26.6 million compared to the same period in 2023. Spain also achieved a record-breaking 94 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. If European travel is to maintain its trajectory, policymakers and stakeholders need to reflect on recent learnings and build back a more balanced tourism ecosystem, through active support for SMEs. From family-run boutique hotels in Provence to rural eco-lodges in the Carpathians, Europe's SMEs not only provide rewarding travel experiences and unique cultural value, they also power the economy through job creation and regional development. 'Part of Europe's success lies in its diversity – diversity of heritage, culture, food, language – and there is a broad mix of businesses to match,' says Peter Lochbihler, Global Head of Public Affairs at 'Whereas 70 per cent of accommodations in the US are chains, in Europe it's almost the opposite.' However, Lochbihler also points out: 'We are seeing that this balance is slowly moving towards 'chainification''. The European Accommodation Barometer research revealed, year after year, that chain hotels in Europe have an economic advantage, consistently demonstrating more optimistic sentiment on a wide range of performance indicators. 'We see it up and down our high streets, in retail, fashion, gastronomy: big global brands are gaining ground. The hotel industry is no exception. Larger chains have wind in their sails, thanks to name recognition, global reach, and good old economies of scale.' In this highly competitive global market, independent accommodations and smaller enterprises are struggling to keep up. Beyond access to and lower cost of capital plus universal brand recognition, chains have significant advantages over SMEs, be it through proprietary technology or global customer loyalty programmes. How can policymakers build back better? Europe's hospitality sector thrives on diversity, but sustaining it requires smart policy choices in Brussels, European capitals and city halls at every destination. By prioritising SMEs, governments can ensure that growth benefits all – keeping local character alive, supporting innovation and assuring equitability of tourism's economic impact. 'EU policies lack immediate incentives for SMEs to digitise and switch to more sustainable practices,' Lochbihler explains. 'If the European Commission is to meet its goals for the twin transition, it will mean increasing access to finance and providing guarantees to allow small businesses to upgrade their tech tools and scale sustainability ambitions with less financial risk.' Despite mounting calls for a more favourable business climate following the publications of the Draghi and Letta reports, red tape continues to stifle SMEs' ability to thrive. Complex compliance frameworks, such as the Package Travel Directive, often place a disproportionate burden on SMEs, with growing reporting obligations and liability risks. Optimising these regulations would give small businesses more room to innovate and compete – without weakening consumer protections. Cross-sector collaboration key for SME survival The long-term health of hospitality SMEs can also be built through collaboration across sectors and regions, in infrastructure development, upskilling workers and distributing tourism more evenly across rural and underserved regions. While broad EU initiatives like the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills focus on equipping workers with technical, managerial and sustainability-focused expertise, more can be done to expand educational programmes that address tourism's specific demands and ensure the workforce is – to borrow Ursula von der Leyen's phrase – fit for the digital age. 'Customer acquisition is one of the biggest challenges for smaller properties —and that's where we come in. At we help businesses of all sizes attract guests, manage payments, boost occupancy, you name it. Small and independent accommodations may not have access to the proprietary digital suites, exclusive staff training programmes, or marketing budgets of global hotel chains, but they excel in resilience, delivering unforgettable guest experiences, and growing through partnerships with technology providers and digital platforms,' Lochbihler concludes. The role of European travel tech companies like in levelling the playing field for SMEs is not to be understated. By democratising access to advanced tools, such as AI-driven insights and sustainable solutions, platforms can enhance operational efficiency, multilingual customer service and marketing reach, empowering even the smallest operators to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. Keeping Europe the world's top destination starts now Despite headwinds, Europe's travel industry remains a force for growth, a source of competitiveness and a creator of hyper-local economic value. However, sustaining this strength requires bold policies that support smaller players, investment in skills and technology, and collaboration between government and business. In this way, hospitality SMEs can continue to delight visitors, delivering the rich, authentic experiences that make Europe the world's favorite travel destination. Let us not forget to celebrate and cherish their success.
