Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica was received with warmth and appreciation when he paid a courtesy visit (09/05/25) to the Kingdom of Tonga’s Crown Prince and Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Tupouto’a Ulukalala.
His Royal Highness extended his sincere gratitude to the Government of Fiji for initiating and leading the Fiji-Tonga Business Mission, describing it as a timely and strategic effort to deepen bilateral ties. The Crown Prince commended the mission's objective, which included enhancing trade and investment relations, fostering business partnerships between the two nations, and promoting regional cooperation across key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, tourism, and digital services.
Held on the sidelines of the Fiji-Tonga Business Mission 2025, the high-level dialogue marked a significant step in resetting and energising the relationship between the two Pacific neighbours.
“The visit has given us the opportunity to engage with both the private sector and Government stakeholders,” DPM Kamikamica said. “It is about tangible outcomes, not just talks.”
He added, “We’ve spoken for years about Pacific regionalism, but the time has come to move from talk to action. Our visit here demonstrates the immense potential for Fiji and Tonga to collaborate in tourism, private sector development, and strategic investment.”
During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister presented His Royal Highness Fiji’s newly launched National Development Plan, which outlines the country’s economic roadmap, and the Investment Fiji prospectus, highlighting priority sectors and corresponding tax incentives to attract foreign investment.
Fiji’s push towards digitisation was also discussed. DPM Kamikamica shared details of Fiji’s National Digital Strategy, aimed at fully automating Government services.
“If we can automate everything from licence application to Cabinet approvals, we’ll eliminate inefficiencies and corruption,” DPM Kamikamica said. “This is the cutting edge of technology in the region.”
Trade remains the central pillar of the Fiji-Tonga relationship. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed optimism about increasing exports between the two countries, noting the growing interest from Fijian private sector players in Tonga.
A core theme of discussion between the two leaders was the importance of indigenous identity in economic development. DPM Kamikamica praised Tonga’s strong base of locally owned enterprise.
“Tonga still has solid indigenous entrepreneurship, and that’s a national strength. Our responsibility as leaders is to craft policies that empower our own people to lead the economy.”
This shared ethos aligns with a vision of tourism not only as an economic driver but also as a platform for cultural education and inclusion, ensuring the Pacific is not only a destination but also a storyteller of its own history and values.
Crown Prince Tupouto’a Ulukalala commended Fiji’s transparency, strategic planning, and willingness to share resources and expertise with neighbouring Pacific islands.
“I’m a big fan of Fiji,” said the Crown Prince. “Many Tongans with ties to Fiji have gone on to invest there. We should look at how to replicate this in reverse, creating pathways for the Tongan diaspora and skilled nationals to return and contribute.”
In an earlier engagement, DPM Kamikamica held bilateral talks with Tonga’s Minister for Tourism, Hon. Mo’ale Finau. The two ministers connected on a fundamental Pacific truth; tourism is more than just an industry; it is a vehicle for cultural pride, economic resilience and regional visibility.
“We need to work together to make tourism mutually beneficial,” said DPM Kamikamica. “From our experience in Fiji, strategic branding through partnerships with international hotel chains such as Radisson and Hilton transformed our tourism identity in the 1990s. This took decades to build.”
Hon. Finau expressed a deep eagerness to learn from Fiji’s tourism model: “We only have one major hotel, and we are far behind. But if we can work together to develop a clear tourism strategy, starting with structure and cultural pride, we can make this industry thrive. Our idea is to develop something like the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Hawaii.”
“Once we bring tourists to stay overnight, it activates agriculture, small businesses, and transport services,” he added.
Hon. Kamikamica outlined Fiji’s tax policies designed to incentivise hotel developments, including tax-free holidays and duty concessions.
“We have used tax tools in Fiji to make investment in tourism viable. From there, tourism feeds into other sectors: agriculture, transportation, arts, and culture. It becomes a development engine.”
The existing air link between Fiji and Tonga was recognised as a key enabler for increasing tourism and trade. Proposals were raised to grow air traffic and improve coordination between aviation and the hospitality sector to capitalise on this arrangement.
At the conclusion of the Fiji-Tonga Business Mission 2025, both Fiji and Tonga are committed to evolving their bilateral ties into a model for Pacific cooperation, where diplomacy is actionable, investment is inclusive and cultural identity is preserved.