Fiji does live up to the hype. What travelers do to keep it that way.

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It felt like a dream. Here I was, on a boat a couple of miles offshore from a secluded island in the middle of Fiji, ready to jump into its crystal-clear waters and cross off a bucket list item of mine.  
I zipped up my wetsuit and donned my scuba diving tank. The visibility was perfect as I dived about 30 feet to a coral reef, a hot spot where manta rays come to be cleaned by other fish.  
In just a few minutes, several reef mantas glided by, their 10-foot wingspan dwarfing me. They drifted gracefully around the reef, ignoring my presence and going about their day.   
It was mesmerizing.  
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This is just one of many intimate encounters travelers can have with Fiji’s stunning natural world. From its picturesque beaches to vibrant marine reefs, these awe-inspiring experiences are a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving nature for posterity – a pillar in sustainable tourism.  
For many bucket list destinations around the world, sustainable tourism is more than a buzzword – it’s a necessity. Pacific islands are dreamy but face limited resources and heavy reliance on tourism. In Fiji, tourism drives 40% of the economy, according to the World Bank. However, tourism strains the environment through development and consumption. These challenges only add Fiji’s vulnerabilities to climate change, such as rising sea levels, eroding coastlines, and flash flooding. 
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“For us Fijians, we don’t have sky towers and theme parks to sell, the only thing we sell is the sun, sand, smiles and sea,” Sunishma Singh, sustainability lead at Tourism Fiji, told USA TODAY. “In order for us to maintain or even increase (tourism), we need to take care of our natural resources.” 
The country committed to a sustainable tourism industry as stated in its 2021 tourism development plan, which focuses on environmental stewardship and community empowerment. In 2023, Fiji became a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which establishes global sustainable standards for destination management, and is pursuing certification.  
In 2022, Fiji welcomed more than 636,000 international visitors, but only 10% of travelers participated in sustainable activities, according to a survey by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. 
In 2022, Americans made up 11% of all visitors to Fiji, staying longer than other international travelers. They said that they were drawn to Fiji for its natural beauty and that it had always been on their bucket lists. Fiji Airways is the only airline with direct flights from the U.S. to Fiji, a 10-hour trip from Los Angeles. 
After scuba diving with manta rays and spending time in a local village, I fell in love with Fiji. Traveling there gave me a deep appreciation for its natural beauty and culture, but it also made me reflect on the importance of preserving Fiji’s future so travelers and locals alike can enjoy the same wonders I did.  
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest diving organization, agrees. To get travelers involved in protecting Fiji’s natural environment, the organization is pushing for regenerative tourism through scuba diving – a term they called “regenerative diving.” Fiji is home to more than 42% of the world’s coral species and one of the first PADI Eco Centers – conservation-focused dive operators – in the South Pacific.  
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At Wakaya Island Resort, where I swam with mantas, divers can join the resort’s nonprofit partner, the Manta Trust Fiji, and record the mantas they see at the resort’s reefs to help keep track of population numbers.  
“By participating in hands-on citizen science, healing local ecosystems and communities, establishing a collaborative relationship with nature, respecting local cultures and, most importantly, shifting our collective perspectives to one of giving back – rather than taking – we can regenerate our watery home, driving global ocean change,” said Julie Anderson, Director of Brand + Media for PADI.  
Resorts and hotels are on the front lines of the visitor experience and help determine how sustainable your trip will be, from their infrastructure and operations to activity offerings. Travelers should do their research and choose wisely.  
My first Fijian resort was Waya Island Resort, a small adults-only property that opened in 2024 on Waya Island. Each of the 17 bures – free-standing Fijian guest bungalows – features solar panels on the roof to slowly phase out use of the resort’s generator. Yalobi village, on the other side of the island, is home to 90% of the resort’s staff. The resort also sources much of its fresh produce from local farmers in the village. 
At the Six Senses Fiji, a luxury resort on Malolo Island, I got to see how a leading resort chain pursues sustainability. The resort sources nearly all ingredients for its restaurants from local purveyors, which keeps cash flow in the country while exposing guests to the local cuisine and flavors – a win-win. The resort also uses Tesla solar batteries for most of its power and filters water on-site for its refillable bottles in guest rooms to cut down on waste and energy consumption. (The resort also makes these sustainability metrics transparent by displaying them on a sign for guests to see.) 
Throughout the property are “touch points” to educate guests on making greener choices even back home, according to Raquel Saavedra, sustainability manager at Six Senses Fiji. Think pigs and chickens that live on property to teach about composting. 
“Tourism from the start has a lot of negative impacts … but we can try to bring our impact to a minimum and give back,” Saavedra said.  
By that, she means several projects underway to help Solevu, the local village that leases the land to the resort, become more self-sustaining, such as purchasing a trash incinerator and rainwater tanks for the residents. 
When travelers take time out of their vacation to give back through volunteering, they not only help meet community needs but also gain a rewarding experience for themselves. Research shows that volunteering while traveling can improve your well-being and give you a greater sense of purpose.  
“Voluntourism is really kind of connecting and thinking of what the traveler can do,” Anna Abelson, a professor of sustainable travel at New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, told USA TODAY. “It’s also such a transformative experience not only for the host community, but obviously for the traveler.”  
At Six Senses Fiji, I joined members of the Coral Gardeners – a reef restoration organization headquartered at the resort – on a boat trip to clean algae from the coral nurseries. Since 2023, Fiji has suffered mass coral bleaching from warming water temperatures, which impacts marine life and the people who depend on the oceans. Resort guests can attend weekly presentations by the Coral Gardeners and then join the nonprofit on snorkeling trips to take care of the coral, helping conserve the very ocean they’re enjoying.  
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Most Fijian islands are not only home to resorts but also local villages that allow visitors on certain days to get a closer look at Fijian culture. “The villages, that is part of what they do week in, week out,” said Marika Kuilamu, assistant lecturer for the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, told USA TODAY.  
Tucked behind Wakaya Island Resort is a village where the approximately 80 workers of the resort and their families live. There’s a church, school, community hall and series of small duplex homes.  
As I set off for my visit to the village, I wrapped the sulu (Fijian sarong) around my waist, as is customary.  
“The idea is that it’s very important not only to visit and stay in the property but also to have that immersive experience of connecting with the culture and understanding the locals and roaming around,” Abelson said. 
After spending time at the school meeting the kids and chatting with the teachers, I felt a deeper connection to Fijian culture. Their warm hospitality added a special touch to my stay, making it unforgettable. I live in Hawaii, another popular island destination, so I know how powerful it is for a traveler to connect with the local community.  
“Doing an experience like that, (travelers) can go back and say, we weren’t just at the hotel 24/7, we had the chance to visit and interact,” Kuilamu said.
The reporter on this story received access to this opportunity from PADI and Tourism Fiji. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.