More then 4500 youths of the Seventh Day Adventist Church from around the South Pacific region will meet in Suva in what is expected to be a major boost for the country, according to a news report from the Fiji Times.

The youths from Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji are expected to be part of the 2004 Youth Congress from December 30 to January 4, 2005.

Trans Pacific Union Youth Director Fred Toailoa said after a rough estimate the youth congress will bring in more than $7million to Fiji's economy.

Mr Toailoa said that Fiji's tourism industry would benefit from having this congress staged in the country.

"This happens every eight years and this is the first time that we are having this outside of Australia and New Zealand," he said.

Mr Toailoa said they could not have it in other Pacific islands mainly because there were no proper facilities to host such large events. He said because smaller Pacific Islanders numbered 80 per cent of the South Pacific Adventist community it was logical to have the congress in an island country rather then in Australia or New Zealand which numbers only 20 per cent of the Adventist population in the region.

Mr Toailoa said that since the construction of the Sports City in Laucala Bay, Suva Fiji would be able to cater for an event of this magnitude.

One of the Adventist Church groups strategy is to use large-scale memory events to broaden their vision of the church and world needs.

Chief Executive Officer Tourism Isikeli Mataitoga said that he supported the idea of having such a congress in Fiji. Mr Mataitoga requested for a copy of the church's proposal so that they could work on the idea of having the congress staged in the country.

Senior officials from various ministries and the Suva City Council attended a briefing on July 23 held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.