TOURISM Fiji has received a Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for Best Use of Emerging Technology in Marketing for its AI-powered destination marketing project in China.
The project titled ‘AI-powered destination marketing: Fiji’s world-first end-to-end AI ecosystem for the Chinese market was recognised for its use of artificial intelligence and digital partnerships to support how Chinese travellers discover, plan and book holidays to Fiji.
The PATA Gold Awards recognises achievements in travel and tourism across areas including marketing, sustainability, human capital development and innovation.
Entries are assessed by a panel of industry experts.
Tourism Fiji board chairperson Ilisapeci Matatolu said the award was a significant achievement for Fiji’s tourism industry.
“The Gold Award is a proud moment for Fiji and a resounding endorsement of our long-term vision for tourism,” Ms Matatolu said.
“It validates our 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.”
Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Dr Paresh Pant said the award recognised a strategy that had developed through successive partnerships and initiatives in the Chinese market.
“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,” Dr Pant said.
“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.”
In April 2026, Dr Pant led a Tourism Fiji delegation to China to strengthen its partnerships with TikTok and Fliggy.
During a strategic workshop with TikTok, the organisations reviewed the campaign’s performance and explored how conversational AI could support personalised travel planning and destination discovery.
Tourism Fiji also signed a strategic co-operation memorandum with Fliggy in Hangzhou.
The agreement covers joint product development, destination branding, digital marketing and outbound travel consumer insights.
