Competitive Consumable Prices can Enhance Fiji Tourism

A consumer group has informed Fiji government that exorbitant prices of tourism products and services were discouraging tourist and transport operators. According to the tourism industry, Fiji is targeting about 630,000 visitor arrivals or 7 percent growth next year.

Although tourism sector has performed strongly this year, the Fiji Consumers Association stated that to maintain projected growth country needed to make tourism a cost-effective package as most of the tourists were ordinary consumers who saved their hard-earned money for their trip overseas. Paras Sukul General Secretary of the association said the tourist price on consumables such as groceries and liquor were highly marked up in hotels, resorts and other hospitality centres.

Similarly, Sukul pointed out hotels and resorts that purchased prescribed minimum percentage of locally produced fruits and vegetables should be rewarded with tax incentives like a rebate on the Hotel Turnover Tax. Tourism industry in Fiji is understood to have created jobs, generated revenues for the state, and helped businesses, particularly SMEs to stay afloat during global recession.

While wooing new markets including India and China, the country has announced last month expressions of interest for the casino development project in a bid to boost tourism. The industry is also planning to promote the off-season through marketing campaign in traditional markets including New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the US. Fiji tourism is seasonal, and runs through the months of June to October.

Fiji Tourism Chairman Patrick Wong expressed that with the Tourism Market Plan 2016 country was expected to achieve its targets. He apprised visitor arrivals from major source markets had been consistent, and would now focus on weaker markets.

By Jose Roy