Fiji untouched?
The military coup that struck Fiji over a year ago has had little effect on the country’s tourism industry writes MATELITA RAGOGO
Coup? What coup. Contrary to the international media hype, the tourists are still flocking to Fiji in great numbers and it’s not just the rich and famous. A push towards more eco-tourism friendly ventures is attracting the backpackers. On-going applications for major new resort developments are evidence that investor confidence is high.
International chains are lapping up beach front properties, with Fiji having opened recently its first over-the-water villa resort.And all this in spite of Fiji being dubbed coup d’etas central. Travel advisories equivalent to Destination Iraq gave the local tourism industry a tough time at first, after the military coup erupted in December 2006. Cancellations led to staff reduction at some resorts.
But thankfully, the local tourism industry is so resilient, not even a coup can keep the tourists away. Fiji leads and remains the most visited destination in the region with arrivals of 545,168 in 2006 followed by French Polynesia: 221,549 and Samoa 115,882, according to a recent survey of travel agents.
As a service-based economy, now that sugar production has plummeted in ranking, Fiji’s tourism industry is the country’s biggest earner and something to be proud of despite serious external challenges to its destination status by neighbouring island nations; profiting from the politically troubled Melanesian group or by new tourism packages offered by the Asian markets.
After the December 2006 coup, Hoteliers partnered with airlines, got into recovery mode and through TAG – Tourism Action Group – developed and sold unbelievably cheap packages that clearly implied a desperate attempt at remaining afloat.
Relativity is the key word for those planning to visit the region – it may be cheaper to reach Tahiti for instance but on-the-ground costs can be devastating to one’s holiday budget.
Increasing innovative guest activities have helped, as has the recent emphasis on resource owner participation. The latter has seen mushrooming eco-tourism projects with locals becoming active industry players, complimenting their natural flair for hospitality.
Accommodation ranges from areas where one can pitch a tent to five-star international chains. “All guests to our shores are accommodated – backpackers still get the sea and sand from eco-tourism resorts in our islands and on our coasts and five-star resort guests still get the pampering they are used to and prefer,’’ Fiji’s Tourism Department acting director Mosese Sovea tells SPASIFIK Sport & Leisure.
In 2005, 21,460 Fijians worked in the tourism industry. The tourism industry alone makes up 12.5% of the country’s GDP with F$729 million in earnings, of which about F$140 million is tax paid to government. Fiji is also one of the few countries in the world that has a ten-year tourism development plan (2007-2016). Consultations with stakeholders, including all 14 provinces in Fiji, were constructive and reflective of rural populations’ environmental concerns.
“We work closely and have a good relationship with our private partners and now with the amalgamation of the Tourism and Environment ministry, it is so much easier to mainstream environmental safeguards,’’ Sovea adds. “Our local awareness programmes are now geared towards the message of how the people of Fiji must treasure its environment – that is essentially what we are selling and we need to ensure we keep it unspoilt.”
Radisson Resort: A testimony to investor confidence
The Radisson Resort Fiji on Denarau Island is a prime example of investor confidence in the face of adversity. It opened its doors in July 2007, despite the fallout from the coup. It became the latest addition to the world famous franchise which has 415 properties in 62 countries.
Radisson owner Marilyn Carlson Nelson jumped at the opportunity to add a second Pacific jewel to her multi-billion dollar operations. She was in Fiji for the opening of the 270-room, F$93 million investment, stressing her commitment to the locals, who make up 70 per cent of the hotel’s workforce.
Nelson is ranked by Travel Agent magazine as “The most powerful woman in travel” and regularly named by Forbes as one of The world’s 100 most powerful women. In perhaps a demonstration of her sincerity, Nelson walked barefoot in the rain across the green, during the opening ceremony. “This island has a special magic about it. I think it has a special allure because we respect the association with the native community and the partnership,’’ she remarked at the opening.
Radisson was developed by Tabua Investments with a New Zealand firm in charge of a 500-strong construction crew.
Radisson’s general manager Phillip Couvaras told SPASIFIK Sport & Leisure. that even while the resort was still being built when the coup struck, commitment to the project was paramount. He was guided by a prevailing mentality that if you live on the west where the international airport is located in Nadi, you escape the daily repercussions of political instability in the capital Suva. “They had been here for a while and they thought we were all crazy speeding up work. But in developers like Tabua Investments, who advised us to keep going, we were on the same page and that was great - you just can’t get cold feet,” Couvaras explains.
Denarau Island is presently a magnet for investors. The peninsula, 20 minutes from the international airport, is home to several international hotel chains, upmarket residences, 18-hole golf courses and even a mall. With more visitors arriving via yacht at Port Denarau, this corner of Fiji does not reflect at all the internal turmoil of finding the ever-elusive democratic utopia.
“People come here because it is peaceful and because of the unique culture we have, but most importantly for its safety – parents can do whatever they want and our staff will happily entertain the kids,’’ says Couvaras.
