Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

While I was in Fiji, I was delighted to launch a new partnership between Australia and TourismFiji to help Fijian tourism safely welcome back international visitors. This certification scheme will be delivered by Aspen Medical, a great Canberra company.

With tourism representing around 40 per cent of Fiji's GDP, and Australian tourists contributing over $50 million a month pre pandemic, this is a critical sector for Fiji. Yesterday, Fiji celebrated its reopening to international tourists—another important milestone in its economic recovery. It was made possible due to Fiji's world-class rollout, using Australian vaccines.

Another key Pacific export is kava, and yesterday I was very pleased to announce phase 2 of the Morrison government's kava pilot program. Pacific kava farmers and producers will now have direct access to the Australian market. Kava has enormous potential and enormous cultural and economic importance for the Pacific. The excitement across the Pacific and here in Australia is palpable. The Morrison government is proud to be supporting business-led economic growth across our region.