Two Palagi in a Pisinisi Pod

In this episode, Glen and Dave discuss the movement of people across the Pacific, focusing on tourism trends in Fiji and the Cook Islands, migration patterns in Vanuatu, and the implications of the US visa bond. They also touch on the redevelopment of Air Vanuatu and the upcoming New Zealand election.

Takeaways

• The Pacific business landscape is vibrant and evolving.
• Recent weather events have impacted communities in New Zealand.
• Fiji is nearing a million tourists, showcasing its appeal.
• Cook Islands tourism emphasizes local experiences over resorts.
• Vanuatu faces challenges with labor outflow due to migration schemes.
• Air Vanuatu is undergoing significant redevelopment efforts.
• The US visa bond could affect business travel and opportunities.
• The podcast has gained recognition in both Fiji and Afghanistan.

Sound Bites

• "Fiji had record years for tourism."
• "Politics play a part in business."
• "We're number one in Fiji!"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pacific Business Dynamics

02:36 Impact of Recent Weather Events in New Zealand

04:13 Tourism Trends in Fiji

07:08 Exploring the Cook Islands Tourism Model

09:56 Vanuatu's Economic Landscape and Labor Migration

12:51 Air Vanuatu's Redevelopment Efforts

15:21 US Visa Bond and Its Implications

18:17 New Zealand Elections Date

21:05 Podcast Growth and Future Directions

Disclaimer

Dave and Glen are both employed in day jobs at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE); however, this podcast is their private endeavour so they wish it to be known that any views or opinions expressed in the podcast are personal and do not reflect any positions of NZTE.

In this episode of Two Palagi in a Pisinisi Pod, hosts Glen and David delve into the business of Pacific sports, highlighting significant events and developments across the region. They discuss recent experiences at the ASB Auckland Open tennis tournament and the inaugural Pickleball Open in Rarotonga, showcasing the growing interest in diverse sports. The conversation shifts to the Coral Coast Sevens in Fiji, where competitive teams vie for a $50,000 prize, and the recent resignation of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, a topic that has captured national attention in New Zealand. 

The episode features a special guest, Josefa Vanuaca, who shares insights into the business side of the Fijian Drua rugby team. He discusses the team's funding structure, revenue streams, and the importance of sponsorship in sustaining the franchise. Josefa emphasizes the evolving nature of sports business in the Pacific, including new initiatives like hybrid streaming options and the significance of women's rugby.

Great to be back in 2026 and as we start the year Dave talks about the year ahead with some major events coming up in the tourism and in the infra-structure sectors. We look at some of the developments in energy across the region with a focus on energy pricing in Fiji and we discuss the movie-style bank heist that happened in Vanuatu during the holiday season.

Dave and Glen sit down with Craig Strong, Chief Investment Officer for BSP Life in Suva to talanoa about Craig’s background, BSP’s approach to investment and their growing connection to Iwi investors in Aotearoa.

Kia ora, bula, kia orana, talofa and welcome to Two Palagi in a Pisinisi Pod with Glen Murphy and Dave Dewar. In this episode we recap Papua New Guinea Investment Week and discuss the major announcements shaping business across the Pacific.

Highlights include the Puk Puk Treaty, Australia’s $600 million commitment to Papua New Guinea’s new NRL team, visa changes to boost tourism, and updates on major resource projects including Papua New Guinea LNG. We also touch on the Asian Development Bank's economic outlook for the Pacific and the region’s climate-related risks.

Connectivity is a key theme: Google’s planned subsea cables and data centre plans promise lower data costs and improved resilience. We close with a look ahead to Austrade’s Pacific trade commissioner roles and a preview of next week’s guest, Craig Strong from BSP Life.

Glen does his homework and talks about the Auckland Council report that quantifies the importance of the Pacific economy in Auckland while Dave attends a roundtable session to understand Energy Fiji’s investment pipeline and talks about the excellent results from Fiji’s National Provident Fund.

This week Dave comes back from Papua New Guinea and tells us about the opportunities there and Glen attends a conference on Pacific Business in Auckland