“It was on this day in 1974 when Roy and Rosie Whitton, armed with a belief that tourism had the power to improve the social and economic wellbeing of every Fijian, founded a small tour company with two employees,” said their son Tony Whitton, now managing director of Rosie Holidays at the opening of the company’s very own tourism gallery early this week in Nadi to mark the company’s 50-year anniversary.
Speaking to The Fiji Times on Thursday, Mr Whitton said part of the company’s innovation was being able to create Fiji’s first tourism gallery where it has been able to mark the last 50 years of Fiji’s tourism industry.
“This is not just marking our progress, but we all grew together, so the whole neighborhood, whole community grew, the tourism communities in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s and you can see the progress,” Mr Whitton said.
Staff members celebrated the day going to work in 70’s attire with the theme A-groovy-kind-of-love.
“To mark this day, our matriarch Rosie Whitton officially opened our Rosie Gallery at our head office in Nadi, with a number of employees that were part of the organisation in the early years,” he said.
“We don’t really know where this will lead, and we have been able to open it up and lead up to something bigger where we end up having a tourism museum.
“But when you think about an industry that is so vital to our nation, 40 per cent of our GDP, single foreign exchange earner, single largest employer.
“Why wouldn’t we have an entity that would be able to mark those milestones?”
Mr Whitton said the Rosie Gallery would also be open to schools and institutions.
“That is our vision, we have not thought it through. Most important thing that we want to do first is to all our 700 staff, for them to just come through and see what we’ve done.
“I think we may open it up for maybe two days a week to schools and other institutions.”
The exhibition features the 50-year journey of the family business with photographic images, press clippings and TV interviews starting from the 70’s.
“Guided by the principals of our founders we look forward to the next 50 years marked by innovation and excellence,” Mr Whitton said.
The company now employs over 600 Fijians and operates award winning brands such as Rosie Holidays, Rosie Events, Rosie Outsourcing, Likuliku Lagoon Resort, Malolo Island Resort, Mociu Private Island and Ahura Resorts Conservation Foundation.
