Tourism Situation Looks Promising

We are riding on a wave that will bring tourism back in a huge way in 2023, says the Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka.

Mr Gavoka concluded his visits to various stakeholders in the Western Division last week.

He met representatives from the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, Fiji Airports Limited, Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, Fiji Airways and Air Terminal Services.

Mr Gavoka said a lot of people were feeling very assured for 2023. “The tourism situation is very positive, everyone is feeling very confident about 2023 so much so that some of the hotels are forecasting for the first quarter to be the best ever in their history,” Mr Gavoka said.

“The first quarter from January to March is the most difficult period for business but here we are, the hotels and the airline saying that they have never seen the kind of bookings they have today.

“So the momentum that builds that started from COVID is still very strong.”

He said following his various meetings, he would return to Suva with a lot of confidence in the tourism industry for this year.

“At a briefing in Cabinet a week ago, the Minister for Finance highlighted and drove home the message over and over again that Fiji will very much depend on tourism this year in the economy.

“The global economy is going to be difficult this year. There is going to be headwinds, but for Fiji we can coast through this and it will very much ride on the success of the reason.”

Hotel investment

He said Fiji needed to consider investing in more hotels.

He highlighted that the consideration would be a challenge for this year and the following years to come.

“One of the concerns that we have is that there are going to be a lot of airline seats coming to Fiji, Fiji Airways with their additional flights, the concern is to marry that with the accommodation inventory on the ground.

“You are talking about seats versus beds. There is a challenge between the two so that is why we need to build some hotels very quickly.

“We have to invest in hotels because the airline is investing in the airline which is good for Fiji that our national airline is expanding its flights, acquiring new equipment and that we quickly need to build some hotels or extend whatever we have.”

Fiji Airways

Mr Gavoka said the forecast this year for Fiji Airways looked positive.

“We were briefed by Fiji Airways and during COVID most of the expatriates have gone, the airline today is almost 100 per cent local. “We talked to those people, they briefed me and we visited their offices and the flying academy and you see the way they are doing things, we are really proud of them and our own people.” Mr Gavoka labelled the quality of Fiji’s national airline as impressive and remarkable and Fijians must feel proud of it.