The survival of our tourism industry is at stake, says National Federation Party (NFP) leader Professor Biman Prasad.
He said if we waited much longer, our hotels and other infrastructure would collapse and would not be ready to receive tourists when the global crisis ends.
Prof Prasad said Fiji needed a “bubble” with New Zealand and expanding to Australia when their Covid-19 outbreak was under control.
“But 80 per cent of our tourism economy is in small to medium enterprises (SMEs), most of them owned by Fiji citizens,” he said.
“These businesses employ thousands of other Fiji citizens and will not be able to survive another year without income.
“We need to strongly and urgently make the case to New Zealand and Australia that Fiji’s economic survival depends on borders opening in a planned and progressive way and to ask for their help.”
He said as we learnt more about the realities of Covid-19 in 2021, it was time for the Government to ask Australia and New Zealand for their support in allowing a progressive reopening of our borders for tourism.
“We know that Europe, the United States and Asia continue to struggle with their second waves. Even after their vaccination campaigns are over, it will take many months for them to become Covid-free.
As sources for tourists to Fiji, these regions will be closed to us for the next 12 months, maybe longer,” he said.
Prof Prasad said New Zealand was the standout country in our region. “New Zealand has been a model of good leadership and strong action through this crisis, leading to it becoming effectively Covid-free.
The result is not just that life has returned largely to normal for New Zealand citizens, so too, to a significant extent, has its economy.
“As our tourism-starved economy spirals downwards, we must ask Australia and New Zealand for more help.
These are our true friends, even if the Fiji First Government prefers China.
If we cannot revive our economy, these countries will be forced to rescue us economically anyway.”
