Distinctly Fijian rooted in local village settings, culture and values, the country’s first homestay marketplace fijianhost.com was launched this week, visioned and built to change the way tourism works in Fiji.
The website – the brainchild of founder and managing director Orisi Samoce and his team – aims to connect travellers with real locals’ home, particularly in villages and rural communities; and is about helping everyday locals become hosts, generate income and share their way of life and on their own terms.
fijianhost.com is perhaps Fiji’s localised answer to Airbnb.
On Wednesday this week, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications Manoa Kamikamica launched the website, joining the Samoce family and partners in celebrating innovation, courage and vision – qualities he said represented the very best of Fiji’s young entrepreneurs.
Early this year, Mr Samoce sought funding on HelpBnk – a platform designed to foster a global community of entrepreneurs who support each other, stating they were raising £10,000 (approx. $F30,000) to launch the platform, onboard its first rural hosts, and to keep operations running for the first six months.
“My team and I are building a better kind of tourism for Fiji, and we need your help! We’ve been quietly building something that could change the way tourism works in Fiji — and today, we’re asking for your support to help bring it to life,” Mr Samoce wrote in that posting.
He said that that funding, they would be able to: reach and train hosts in villages, improve the platform before launch, and support their team and operations as they grew.
“We’ve already received $40,000 (FJD) in grant funding from the local institutions and the Fiji Government, now we’re turning to our wider community to help us take the next step.
“If you believe in: tourism that benefits local people, creating opportunities with what we already have, connecting travelers to culture, not just resorts – then we’d love your support, whether that’s £5 (approx. $F15), £50 (approx. $F150), or simply sharing our story.”
This week, Mr Samoce was the recipient of a grant of $30,000 under the Young Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) to assist with the development of the FijianHost platform in the 2024/25 financial year.
Mr Kamikamica said this investment was more than just financial support, it was a vote of confidence in the capacity of Fiji’s young people to lead change and inspire transformation in the digital space.
He said the grant would allow for an onboarding of 100 rural hosts in the first year of operation.
“They aim to onboard at least 10,000 bookings annually, exciting news for the tourism sector as not only direct financial returns but potential opportunities for cultural exchange, learning and community development. So to all our fellow Fijians, please continue to watch this space!”
Mr Kamikamica said fijianhost.com was no ordinary website.
He said it was a platform with a purpose – to empower rural and maritime Fijian communities by connecting them directly with tourists that wanted to experience what they considered a premium tourist experience with a local twist.
“The concept mirrors the success of Airbnb, but it is distinctly Fijian, rooted in our village settings, our culture, and our values. Its primary goal is to provide an authentic experience for visitors while ensuring the economic benefits of tourism flow directly into the hands of our people.
“This is the kind of innovation that aligns with Government efforts in encouraging responsible tourism, protecting our cultural heritage and most importantly, creating real opportunities for rural families to benefit directly from Fiji’s growing tourism industry.”
Not just a business
FijianHost is more than just a business – it is the link to bridge the gap between avid travellers that want to experience firsthand authentic vibrant cultural experience and the Fijian communities eager to share their unique stories, customs and lifestyle.
Mr Kamikamica said it would also ensure tourism was not merely confined to resorts or urban centres but extended to the heart of the nation – islands and village communities.
“I want to emphasise that FijianHost is the first of its kind in the Pacific.
“Together with Orisi’s perseverance, guidance and the continued engagement with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) and the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, this is history in the making.
“Fiji is taking a bold step forward, positioning itself at the frontier of digital innovation and entrepreneurship in our region. This platform is not only a technological breakthrough but also a cultural milestone, showing that Pacific nations can lead with creativity, with technology and with vision.”
Mr Kamikamica assured the Government’s commitment to fostering this type of innovation – more inclusive, resilient and more forward-looking.
“The ministry that I head has been working tirelessly to create opportunities for young people and strengthen our MSME sector one initiative at a time.
Dream big
Mr Samoce said the initiative was born out of a vision to assist and empower communities by addressing the challenge of the disconnection of rural and maritime communities from the tourism value chain.
He acknowledged the Government and partnering stakeholders in trusting them with this initiative.
He also thanked the YES program team for the support offered throughout the process and entrusting them with the grant.
“I also want to put out a specific message to the young people of Fiji, and I want to say this – you may be limited by who you are, where you are, or what you have today, but remember this, what you can become is without limit,” Mr Samoce said.
“Dream big, have faith, and don’t overthink, just start.”
Mr Kamikamica said Mr Samoce’s work with FijianHost showed how innovation could blend tradition with technology to preserve Fiji’s identity, empower communities and grow the Fijian economy.
“To our young people today, let this be an inspiration. Let it remind you that great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. What matters it the courage to take a risk, the discipline to put in the hard work, and the determination to see it through.
“Your Government will continue to stand by you, support you and to create pathways for your success.”
Mr Kamikamica also congratulated Mr Samoce and his team saying: “We are immensely proud of your journey with your partners and are excited about the future of FijianHost”.
“This grant handover is not the end of the process, but the beginning of what we believe is an extraordinary journey – one that we believe will transform tourism, uplift rural communities and shine a bright light on Fiji as a hub of innovation in the Pacific.”
Mr and Mrs Samoce and Acting PM and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, MSMEs and Communications Manoa Kamikamica cut the cake to celebrate the launch of fijianhost.com and the grant handover on Wednesday this week. Picture: FIJI GOVERNMENT