SUVA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Minister of Tourism Faiyaz Koya said on Wednesday that the world is increasingly becoming connected and interdependent with digital advancements.

He made the comments on Wednesday while opening the World Tourism Day Seminar in Fiji's northern Rakiraki.

Koya said not only new tools were needed but also new capacities and ways of thinking in the tourism industry to be able to capitalize on Fiji's position as the regional hub and ensure continued sustainable growth.

He said the main objective of the seminar was to encourage inclusive participation and sustainable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) growth.

Koya said, like tourism, technology was very dynamic and equally vibrant and was about connecting people and places.

With the theme of "Tourism and the Digital Transformation", the event highlights the demand for investment in disruptive digital technologies, Koya said.

The recently-launched Suva-Savusavu Submarine Cable project in Fiji's second largest island Vanua Levu is a part of the Fijian government's development projects to improve connectivity.

The Fijian government has set a target of growing the tourism industry into a 2.2-billion-Fijian dollars industry (about 1 billion U.S. dollars) by 2021 as it is a main money earner for the island nation.