INTERCONTINENTAL Fiji Golf Resort and Spa and its sister properties, Grand Pacific Hotel Suva and Holiday Inn Suva, have joined Hanua as founding partners, supporting a locally founded initiative aimed at strengthening young people’s connection to Fiji’s ocean, communities and culture.
The partnership includes a FJD$12,000 founding investment towards Hanua’s ocean-centred programs, which focus on youth surfing, ocean education, cultural preservation and community engagement.
The partnership’s first major initiative will be the Hanua Ocean Surf Fest, to be hosted at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa in Natadola on this year’s Fiji Day commemoration.
IHG Hotels and Resorts regional general manager for Fiji and the Pacific Lachlan Walker said Natadola was a natural setting for an initiative focused on surfing, young people and the ocean.
“Natadola is one of Fiji’s most special coastal destinations and one of the best beaches on Viti Levu, making InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa a natural home for a programme centred on surfing, young people and the ocean,” he said.
“With such an incredible environment on our doorstep comes a responsibility to help care for it and support the communities connected to it.”
Walker said Hanua provided a meaningful way for young people to experience the ocean, learn from it and understand their role in protecting it.
He said the partnership also reflected IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan and its commitment to making a positive difference in the communities where it operates.
“Hosting the inaugural Ocean Surf Fest at Natadola on Fiji Day brings those priorities together in a way that feels genuinely local,” Walker said.
Hanua founder and executive director Hannah Bennett said surfing could be used as a tool to build confidence and strengthen connections between young people, culture and the ocean.
“Hanua was created from the belief that surfing can be much more than a sport,” Bennett said.
“It can build confidence, strengthen connection and give young people a meaningful way to engage with the ocean, culture and community.”
Bennett said the partnership with InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa would provide Hanua with an important platform to expand its work.
She said the Ocean Surf Fest would combine surfing with education, storytelling and cultural connection.
“To bring that to life at Natadola on Fiji Day makes the occasion even more significant, and we hope it becomes something young people and communities can continue to be part of in the years ahead.”
