LOCAL small and medium enterprises have been urged to take advantage of their local resources and tap into the lucrative tourism industry.
Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka said many opportunities were available for locals looking to set up their own tourist-based businesses.
“Fundamental to this is the involvement of the entire community,” Mr Gavoka said.
“I am very pleased to see our very own local people taking up the challenge. From the Government side, we are creating an enabling environment for them.
“There is funding available to help them and I am really happy to see they are not sitting back and they are taking advantage of what is on offer.”
He said tourism needed to be an all-community undertaking with its revenues reaching every person involved in the industry.
“It is not only for the operators, it is for everyone.
“The big operators need the community to buy into the tourism acquisition.
“Tourism will continue to be big in Fiji. It is 40 per cent today, it will be much greater with the years to come but it will not be a success unless we bring in our community to be part of that in a meaningful way.
“We are making billions every year. We ask the question how far those billions are cascading into the community?
“It needs to go all the way to the very root which is our community.”
