Momi Park centre brings Eco-tourism Boost
The new Visitor Information Centre at the Momi Battery Historic Park will become a focal point for supporting ecotourism initiatives and activities of communities in the region.
Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources, Faiyaz Koya, said the centre would further develop into an Education Centre for visiting schools and become the venue for community outreach programmes, training and workshops.
“The new facilities and amenities are extremely important for the area, as they would establish an efficient administrative and operational centre for the Park and promote the Momi region as an attraction for the Nadroga province.”
In addition, the Information Centre would allow the Historic Park to host large groups from local tour operators from cruise ships, enable product diversification on-site and for tour packages such as sunset cocktails, weddings and corporate functions, enhance cultural heritage ecotourism in the region.
“It would also generate revenue for the tourism industry and community stakeholders and at the same time, enable the site to become financially viable,” Mr Koya said.
The Momi region and surrounding communities are a significant tourism area in the Western Division.
Nine local tour operators have some form of engagement with the communities in the region. He added a feasibility study conducted in 2013 indicated a high interest in the Momi region and in the Historic Park. “The Historic Park is the only product of heritage significance, which tourism operators indicate as an added touch of uniqueness to their tour packages. “Cultural tourism is a growing market, where visitors travel the world to learn and be part of the heritage of a country. In order to diversify our tourism products and consolidate the heritage and cultural features of each region in Fiji and promote it to grow tourism, the Fijian tourism plan or Fijian Tourism 2021 has specific strategies focusing on culture and heritage.”
Mr Koya said that through the rejuvenation of existing natural, cultural and heritage sites for tourism will enable the spread of tourism activities and benefits to other parts of Fiji.