ANY attention focused on revenue generation in the Northern Division will no doubt be welcomed by the people who call Vanua Levu home.
It makes sense, especially in the face of continued urban drift to Viti Levu. Every opportunity that empowers people to remain in their communities, earn a decent living and build a future for their families has to be encouraged.
Tourism spending in the Northern Division is currently estimated at around $290million a year. However, long-term economic modelling indicates the region’s tourism economy could grow to about $1billion annually by 2050. That is a great opportunity.
Responding to a parliamentary question on the future of tourism in the North under the Na Vualiku Programme, Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka said this growth would be driven by strategic pathways targeting international visitors who stayed longer and spent more.
Mr Gavoka said modelling under the Tourism Plan projected annual arrivals in the North reaching about 130,000 by 2050, nearly twice current levels. The emphasis, he explained, was on growing the value of tourism rather than simply increasing visitor numbers.
Community-based tourism, allowing villages to welcome visitors on their own terms, is also projected to almost double. That is a positive development, particularly when communities can benefit directly from tourism while preserving their culture and way of life.
However, achieving the billion-dollar vision depends heavily on delivering major infrastructure improvements. Mr Gavoka said the completed plan would require significant upgrades to Matei Airport on Taveuni, Savusavu Airport, the South Coast Rd on Taveuni, and roads east and west of Labasa. Essential improvements to wastewater systems, electricity and communications in Savusavu, Labasa and Taveuni are also outlined. The communities, he said, had made it clear during consultations that they did not want rapid, uncontrolled growth. They wanted development that was sustainable, regenerative, inclusive, authentic and community-driven. The proposed approach rests on four principles: value over volume, protection of natural and cultural assets, infrastructure first, and ensuring essential services are established before or alongside growth. We say, raise the profile of Vanua Levu. Upgrade its airports, particularly Labasa, and make reaching the North easier. That begins with improving connectivity through Nadi International Airport, including reliable and convenient flights to the Northern Division. Visitors arriving from the United States or Europe should be able to reach Labasa, Savusavu or Taveuni without losing valuable hours to inconvenient connections. Better internet connectivity, dependable utilities and effective promotion of the North’s unique attractions must also be priorities.
The opportunity is there. But projections alone will not deliver prosperity.
We say Government, tourism operators and communities must work together to turn ambition into action, ensuring investment reaches the people who need it most. Vanua Levu deserves the infrastructure, access and investment to make that promise real. If we get this right, the benefits will extend well beyond the North, strengthening livelihoods, broadening Fiji’s tourism offering and building a balanced national economy.
