Yes, we need more hotel rooms! And we’ve known this for a while.
It’s not a new conversation, but it’s one that’s becoming increasingly urgent. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka has said it repeatedly. So did Cove Management Ltd director Mark Hinton last year. Both have pointed out what’s now plain to see, that there’s an imbalance between flight capacity and available accommodation, and it’s quietly capping our potential.
While Fiji’s tourism industry is set to benefit from a surge in global travel demand and consumer spending, growth is being constrained by a shortage of hotel rooms and accommodation, Mr Gavoka said.
“When demand is high, we run out of rooms,” he said. That’s as straightforward as it gets. There’s a mismatch between the number of airline seats bringing visitors to Fiji and the number of rooms ready to receive them.
“That, in many ways, limits our growth, because people can’t travel if they can’t get a room.”
He’s right. You can’t grow an industry when half the equation is missing. So we note that the Government recognises this, which is why it’s pushing for more development, from new resorts to community tourism and Airbnb properties. That will come with incentives obviously!
“These are all accommodations we need to bring into line,” Mr Gavoka said.
The Ministry of Tourism is also working on a new Tourism Act, the first of its kind, to bring order, accountability, and higher standards across all forms of accommodation. We say that’s a good start. But as our air connectivity expands to 25 destinations, the accommodation gap could grow wider if new investments don’t keep pace.
“There are emerging markets and people who want to come,” Mr Gavoka said.
“We’re negotiating with them, but when they do come, it will compound the room inventory problem we currently have.”
The Government is backing tourism investment. But that must now translate into urgent action. Because if we truly want to be the Pacific’s top destination, we can’t afford to turn visitors away because there’s nowhere to stay.
We’ve said this before: we must be ready. Flight capacity and accommodation supply go hand in hand. You can’t grow one without strengthening the other.
And we say the benefits of doing so are obvious. More rooms mean more jobs. They mean renewed investor confidence. They mean business for construction companies, transport providers, and small operators who depend on tourism for their livelihoods.
When Mr Gavoka spoke in June last year, about hitting one million visitors, there was scepticism. But reaching that milestone means knowing exactly how many rooms we have available, by category and by location, for everyone from the high-end traveller to the budget-conscious backpacker. It means planning around seasons and peak periods. It means collaboration between our national airline, ground transport, tour operators, and local communities.
Tourism is about people, both the visitors who come here and the Fijians who welcome them. It’s about the stories that travellers take home, the experiences that define our reputation, and the pride we have in sharing our islands with the world. But to sustain that story, we must ensure that every flight landing in Nadi or Nausori has enough rooms waiting to receive those on board.
That’s the balance we must strike: air seats and hotel beds, hand in hand!
We have a challenge before us! So roll out whatever it is you want, we say to the powers that be! Organise policies, incentives, or partnerships!
Let’s face it. We need rooms!
