TOURIST POLICE SURVEY
Findings detail problems within our tourism industry
Asurvey by the Tourist Police has underscored how serious the situation is for tourism. The comprehensive findings by the Fiji Tourist Police Unit followed a hotel by hotel survey in the country’s four divisions.
The report highlights a list of resorts where staff were sent home.
Foreign tourists and expatriates awaiting flights to their home country make up a good part of occupancy rates.
Local tourists and medical staff also add to the guest lists.
The report dated April 23, 2020, warned of danger to the industry should it continue at the current rate of occupancy.
Some hotels were open without guests, while others had neither, Police said as it warned more hotels were likely to close.
Southern Division
Of the 13 hotels open in the
Southern Division, 10 were occupied.
The Tourist Police report said staff of hotels in the Southern Division had 50 per cent pay cut, while some were either laid off or on leave without pay.
Police said the limited staff had to carry out numerous tasks.
■ Grand Pacific Hotel - 4.2 per cent.
■ Holiday Inn - 4 per cent.
■ Suva Motor Inn - 2 per cent. ■ Tanoa Plaza Hotel - 12 per cent. ■ Peninsula International Hotel Suva - 2 per cent.
■ Novotel Suva Lami Bay- 3 per cent.
■ Elixir Hotel and Serviced Apartments - 9 per cent.
■ The Pearl Resort - 0.95 per cent. ■ Uprising Beach Resort - 2 per cent.
■ ULTIQA Fiji Palm Beach Resort - 3 per cent.
■ Lagoon Resort - Nil
■ Chung Ram Homestay - Nil ■ Elizabeth Homestay - Nil
Eastern Division
Occupancy rates for hotels in the Eastern Division was a total 50 per cent.
Three tourism operators were named, of which one was occupied.
The Tourist Police said only a handful of employees were at work as most staff were laid off because of the low to nil occupancy experienced in all hotels. ■ Hideout Holiday Homes -nil. ■ South Point Lodge - 50 per cent.
■ Ramesh’s Apartment and Homestay Lodge - nil.
Northern Division
Of the eight tourism operators visited in the Northern Division, Tourist Police reported zero occupancy in all but two, namely Daku Resort in Savusavu and Takia Hotel in Labasa.
Tourist Police said there was nil occupancy at hotels and resorts on Taveuni.
■ Grand Eastern Hotel - nil. ■ Takia Hotel - 1 per cent.
■ North Pole - closed.
■ North Wind - closed.
■ Hotel 88 - nil.
■ Friendly North Inn - nil. ■ Labasa Hotel - closed.
■ Taveuni resorts - nil.
■ Daku Resort, Savusavu - 3 per cent
Western Division
At Wailoaloa in Nadi, Tourist Police reported the close of three hotels, while three other operators had occupancy that ranged from two per cent to eight per cent.
■ Club Fiji Resort - closed. ■ Nalagi Hotel - closed.
■ Bluelight Village Hotel - 2 per cent.
■ Mayas Hotel - 5 per cent.
■ Nadi Downtown - closed. ■ Nasau Hotel -8 locals.
Denarau
At Denarau, seven guests remained on the island, along with security, maintenance and management personnel, Tourist Police said.
■ Wyndham - nil.
■ Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island - 17 per cent/closed.
■ Sheraton Fiji Resort - closed for renovations.
■ The Westin Denarau Island Resort and Spa, Fiji - 7 per cent.
■ Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa closed.
■ Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa- closed.
■ The Terrace Apartments - 5 per cent.
Lautoka
In Lautoka, Tourist Police reported occupancy at three hotels only where medical workers and local guests were billeted. Occupancy rates ranged from 15 per cent to 71 per cent.
■ Tanoa Waterfront Resort - 71 per cent.
■ Cathay Hotel - 35 per cent.
■ Sea Breeze Hotel - 15 per cent.
Coral Coast
Only three major hotels were occupied, with a total of 33 inhouse guests who were mostly from abroad.
“All other smaller resorts are open but with nil occupancy. “InterContinental are not accepting any more guests and will be closed for four months after the Chinese guests leave.”
Guests at the three major resorts are stranded awaiting flights to their home countries.
■ InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa - 22 Chinese.
■ Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa - 2 Singaporeans, 4 locals.
■ Fiji Beachhouse - 1 United Kingdom, 1 USA, 1 Germany, 2 Italy.