How Island Nations Are Using Tourism to Fight the Impacts of Climate Change

On July 25, 2024 the Polynesian nation of Cook Islands formally joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), a collection of international organizations including federal and municipal governments along with other entities, that sets global standards for sustainable tourism. The ratification of the council’s doctrine, dubbed the GTSC Criteria, by this isolated archipelago of 15 islands could play a massive role in the economic and environmental future of a remote country that is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Around the South Pacific, island nations are embracing eco-tourism as a vital means of safeguarding their economies amid an increasingly volatile natural environment – encouraging both local businesses and travelers to participate, as both stand to gain as a result. Initiatives here as well as in Fiji highlight how tourism can help build climate resilience, and could become a blueprint for destinations around the globe.

The Cook Islands integrates eco-first tourism into its national economic strategy

Eco-tourism initiatives in the Cook Islands connect travelers to resident-led excursions with a focus on conservation. The result is both an increase in the number of travelers visiting, and a greater focus on protecting local cultures and ecosystems. Photo: ChameleonsEye /Shutterstock

Low-lying geography and isolation make Polynesian nations quite vulnerable to natural disasters. Getting relief to them during cyclones and subsequent flooding events is hard — and dangerous. Rising sea levels threaten to erode coastlines, contaminate freshwater supplies, and displace communities, further making South Pacific nations among the most vulnerable places on the planet to the impacts of a global catastrophe they had little to do in causing. Studies pin a mere 0.03 percent of total human-caused carbon emissions on Polynesia, making their current exposure to its impact something of a bait and switch at the hands of historically massive emitters like the United States and China. With tourism-dependent economies, countries including the Cook Islands and Fiji are designing resilience around what keeps their economies afloat.

“In the Cook Islands, responsible travel is first and foremost a community-driven movement,” Brad Kirner, Cook Islands Director of Destination Development at Cook Islands Tourism, tells Matador. “Local businesses, landowners, and cultural leaders have been integrating sustainability into tourism for years, ensuring that visitors engage in authentic, meaningful experiences that benefit local people and protect the environment.”

Like in many destinations, travelers first experience the Cook Islands’ sustainability efforts via food and drink. Raise a pint at Rarotonga Brewery on the island of Rarotonga and they’ll be drinking a beer made with as little environmental impact as possible – starting with its refillable bottle through the generator powered by used cooking oil that powers the facility where the beer is brewed. Travelers can sign up for a tour with Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau, a youth-led environmental NGO dedicated to marine conservation, reef protection, and preserving traditional ecological knowledge through its Ta’unga Mataora Program.

Snorkelers on an eco-tour pass over a protected reef over Rarotonga. Photo: ChameleonsEye /Shutterstock

Nationally, a key component of the Cook Islands’ climate strategy is Marae Moana, the world’s largest multi-use Marine Protected Area, covering more than 730,000 square miles of ocean. Here, marine conservation and sustainable economic activities, including tourism, go hand in hand. Local communities manage ra’ui (traditional marine protected areas) to allow fish populations to regenerate, and tour operators actively educate visitors on marine conservation. Many businesses have adopted eco-friendly practices, such as ceasing fish feeding and coral reef walking, ensuring that marine tourism contributes to, rather than harms, the environment.

GEF-7 Project ENUA, a tongue-twister of an initiative led by the Cook Islands’ National Environment Service (NES) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is one of the primary ways travelers can engage with Cook Islands’ conservation efforts on a trip. This project aims to enhance biodiversity conservation and improve the management of protected areas, and as such it pushes tourists toward tour operators that follow strict environmental guidelines, including Ariki Adventures, as well as eco-friendly accommodations like Atiu Villas and Ikurangi Eco Retreat. The initiative also engages local conservation NGOs to help businesses and travelers follow marine protection guidelines and reduce plastic waste.

Following the establishment of Marae Moana in 2017 and the subsequent growth in environmentally-focused lodgings and tours, the island’s economic plan is increasingly focused on optimizing these initiatives.
“At the same time, destination-wide planning is beginning to align with these grassroots efforts, ensuring that tourism development reinforces community values rather than reshaping them,” Kirner says. “For the first time, an ‘all-of-government’ approach is being taken to integrate sustainable tourism into national policy, with the Destination Stewardship Planning (DSP) process serving as a key mechanism to align decision-making across ministries and ensure that tourism development enhances environmental, cultural, and community wellbeing. This work will also set the foundation for updating industry-level sustainability standards, including the Cook Islands Quality Assured (CIQA) and Mana Tiaki eco-certification programmes.”

While the Cook Islands has made significant strides in integrating conservation efforts into its national economic strategy, Fiji is taking a similarly ambitious approach to using tourism as a tool for climate resilience. Like the Cook Islands, Fiji recognizes that protecting its natural resources is essential for both its economy and its future. Through large-scale reforestation projects, marine protected areas, and sustainability-driven tourism businesses, Fiji is demonstrating how island nations can harness the power of responsible travel to combat climate change while ensuring long-term environmental and economic stability.

Fiji leverages tree planting and ocean protections, with visitors’ support

Fiji’s 30 Million Trees initiative aims to reforest the island nation as a natural defense against climate change. Some of that tree planting happens on the island of Viti Levu, shown here, where the vast majority of travelers first arrive in the country. Photo: Radek Borovka/Shutterstock

1,300 miles to the west of The Cook Islands, another South Pacific archipelago is acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Fiji, at an average elevation of just 1,000 feet and whose population largely resides near sea level, is equally remote – Australia, the nearest continent, is some 2,800 miles to the west. Its largest island, Viti Levu, has two international airports. The vast majority of travelers arrive via Nadi International, on the island’s west side, and this airport also serves as a primary point of exit for residents and tourists in case of emergency. Rising sea levels form the most imminent climate-induced threat to the country in the long term, with increased frequency of major storms already costing Fiji an average annual asset loss of over $500 million, according to data compiled by The Fiji Times. This equates to more than five percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

​In February 2016, Fiji endured the devastating impact of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, a Category 5 storm and the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. The cyclone inflicted catastrophic damage across the archipelago, killing 44 people and displacing or severely impacting 350,000 — nearly 40% of Fiji’s population. The disaster left around 131,000 individuals in immediate need of shelter assistance, with 40,000 homes damaged or destroyed. The total economic impact was profound, with damages estimated at $1.4 billion, OCHA reported.

In a country where tourism accounts for 40 percent of the economy, according to its Finance Ministry, Fiji is a natural leader in utilizing tourism as a means to combat climate change. It’s stepped to the plate in a big way. The islands of Tavarua and Namoto have launched clam and coral restoration projects to boost clam populations and protect their coastlines. The 30 Million Trees Initiative, launched in 2020, is a nationwide effort to plant 30 million native trees by 2030, aimed at curbing deforestation, restoring ecosystems, and enhancing biodiversity.

“The goal of the initiative is to plant 30 million trees by 2030, focusing on native species to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate climate change,” Ivy Mallam, a spokesperson with Tourism Fiji, told Matador via email. “The project aims to restore ecosystems, improve soil and water quality, and provide better habitats for wildlife, while also creating jobs in sustainable forestry.”

Some dive outfits in Fiji offer survey dives, where divers participate in monitoring the health of shark populations and their surrounding ecosystems. Photo: MDay Photography/Shutterstock

This ambitious reforestation project is intended to sequester carbon, of course, but it also serves two additional purposes. First, it helps build a natural buffer for the island against rising sea levels and hotter days. Second, the initiative is its own sort of “eco-tourism” offering in that it allows visitors to patronize businesses participating in the initiative. In the long-term, the initiative hopes to drive more traditional eco-tourism offerings as well, as tour operators have more lush landscapes to show off to visitors. Another major step in Fiji’s environmental strategy is its Sustainable Ocean EEZs (exclusive economic zones) initiative, which seeks to manage 100% of its ocean territory sustainably by 2030. A key aspect of this plan is the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs),

“The country plans to protect 30% of its marine areas through Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which limit fishing and help conserve marine life,” Mallam says. “This is part of Fiji’s National Ocean Policy (2020-2030) to ensure a healthy ocean for future generations.”

The project expects to be crucial for Fiji’s tourism sector, particularly for tour operators offering snorkeling, diving, and wildlife excursions. More places to explore, and better health in those places, means not only a better environment but again, more eco-tourism offerings.

Cultural performances like this fire show highlight the the importance of protecting Fijian culture. Photo: Manon van Os /Shutterstock

Beyond government-led programs, the tourism industry itself is stepping up with direct environmental initiatives. Resorts such as Nanuku Resort and Six Senses, on the island of Malolo, have implemented coral and mangrove planting projects to boost carbon sequestration and coastal resilience. The island is rife with resorts and tour operators like Beqa Adventure Divers and Barefoot Manta, which give guests experiences build around sustainability that highlight the reasons they came to the islands in the first place — like survey dives, marine clean-ups, and responsible (no touching or flagrant selfies) wildlife interactions.

While specific quantitative data on the direct impact of these eco-initiatives on climate resilience won’t be measurable for years to come, the efforts are a lesson in forward-thinking that other vulnerable destinations around the world can embrace. Preserving natural ecosystems supports local economies, and simultaneoously fosters community engagement in conservation efforts. This brings in tourists — Fiji achieved a record-breaking 983,000 visitor arrivals in 2024 — and these measures collectively enhance the capacity of these island nations to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.