Resource owners have been challenged to help widen Fiji’s tourism offerings by exploring business ventures using their natural resources.
In his presentation at the Fiji Indigenous Business Council (FIBC) FHL workshop 24 session on ‘Bridging the commercial gap: Institutional role’, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka said tourists coming to Fiji today want to go out more to see the place rather than just staying in hotels.
And that has fuelled the need to create new tourism products to target that demand.
“What we have now in the tourism industry is the need to provide and create more tourism products outside of hotels,” Mr Gavoka told about 200 iTaukei business operators that attended the two-day meet at the RB Harbour Point Convention Centre in Suvavou.
He said Fiji was often marketed on sun, sand and sea in the past but now tourists want to go out and see the country.
“An area we’re trying to focus on is community tourism. For people to go out, whether it’s mountain trekking, village visits, or kayaking, or whatever.
“That is where iTaukei can provide those types of products.
“But all in all, we in tourism understand the strength of who we are. It’s not our beaches, it’s not our hotels. People come here for our people.”
