Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka says the tourism and civil aviation industry will be relied upon by the new government to improve Fiji’s economy.
While speaking to Nadi business owners recently, he said his ministry was making every effort to combine the two ministries that were separated by the previous government.
“Tourism used to be a department on its own but today it’s only a unit,” he said.
“And civil aviation I’ve had to go and bring them back into the tourism portfolio because it’s made up of four people working under the Solicitor General.
“This is one of the biggest industries in Fiji and for some reason it was taken to be under the Solicitor General.
“And tourism has really dwindled in terms of its manpower and its policy making body.
“A lot of key projects is in its hands but it’s been virtually decimated by the previous regime but we will rebuild it back.”
He said it has been stressed to the new government that the tourism industry would continue to be Fiji’s main income earner.
“We were part of the Cabinet briefing and the briefing was by the Minister of Finance and he gave us an overview of how things are going and he kept saying that Tourism will be the saviour of this country in the immediate future.”
