Opportunities abound in the Fijian hotel market – that was the message to the more than 350 hotel industry leaders that gathered at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa this week for the AHICE Fiji Islands Investment in Tourism Summit.
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Honorable Viliame Gavoka, and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, the Honorable Manoa Kamikamica, were in attendance with both political leaders taking to the stage to highlight the bountiful opportunities in the Fijian market.
AHICE Fiji: as it happened
AHICE Fiji Islands, hosted by HM Magazine and co-hosted by Tourism Fiji and Investment Fiji, commenced on the evening of Tuesday June 24 with close to 50 delegates attending a unique Winemaker Dinner in partnership with De Beaurepaire Wines.
The following day, over 20 hotel industry leaders took to the course at Denarau Golf And Racquet Club for a Charity Golf Day, presented by Tappoo, which raised FJD$3150 for Nadi-based children’s orphanage, Treasure House Fiji.
Thursday June 26 saw delegates gather for a full-day conference in the ballroom at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa.
The conference kicked off in spectacular fashion with a rousing performance and traditional welcome ceremony delivered by the Vou Dance Group.
In his opening remarks, AHICE Group President James Wilkinson highlighted Fiji’s skyrocketing tourism performance and was the first among many throughout the day to commend outgoing Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill for his work in promoting Fiji as a destination.
Wilkinson also announced that Investment Fiji and Tourism Fiji have extended their partnership with AHICE Fiji Islands Investment in Tourism Summit for a further three years, ensuring the continued growth of the event in the region.
Investment Fiji Board Chair, Jenny Seeto, delivered an impassioned speech about the opportunity in Fiji to a room full of movers, decision makers and visionaries in the global hotel investment sector.
“This is no ordinary conference. It is a time for connection, of alignment and of shared opportunity,” Seeto said.
“Fiji is open for investment. We are open to bold new ideas.”
Tourism is the country’s largest contributor to GDP, at 40%, and the market has shown great recovery and resilience in the wake of the pandemic.
“Arrivals are strong. Visitor spending is certainly going up, and the interest we are seeing from international hotel brands, investors and developers is louder than ever,” Seeto said.
Seeto referenced Fiji’s National Digital Strategy goals and the landing of Google’s subsea cables, which are crucial in positioning Fiji to be a regional digital hub, as well as a US$200 million investment in infrastructure development in the northern region.
“We are looking beyond traditional markets and tapping into exciting new demand from Asia, North and Central America and South America, people are seeking unique, safe and sustainable destinations, places where you can switch off and still stay connected.
“And Fiji offers exactly that, a paradise that understands modern challenge and delivers with world class connectivity and hospitality,” Seeto added.
With the Fijian government offering attractive tax incentive packages for tourism related industries and other sectors of the economy, delegates were eager to hear from political leaders.
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Honorable Viliame Gavoka – a hotelier in his earlier career – highlighted the importance of safety and security of a destination for holidaymakers amidst escalating conflicts and geopolitical tensions in other parts of the world, with Fiji tourist numbers seeing record numbers.
“Right now, we are experiencing one of the most exciting chapters in our tourism story,” Deputy Prime Minister Gavoka said.
“Arrivals are at record highs … and investment across the sector is accelerating.
“16 projects are currently under construction, set to deliver more than 2200 additional rooms, and there’s still room for more.”
Deputy Prime Minister Gavoka also spoke about raising the standard of Fiji’s accommodation offering.
“We are calling on underperforming or closed accommodation providers to partner with white label operators and asset managers who can help uplift quality, tap into growing demand and deliver stronger returns,” he said.
“The government is advancing bold new policies, our new tourism legislation, now in developments, will create a modern framework to protect integrity of our sector, encourage green investment and make sure tourism benefits Fijians.”
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, the Honorable Manoa Kamikamica, discussed Fiji’s journey to embracing renewable energy, saying that he expects this mission towards a circular economy to escalate rapidly in the next five years.
“We are in the process of embarking on [the delivery of] a platform where allotment plans and applications are launched,” Deputy Prime Minister Minister Kamikamica said.
“All agencies look at the application concurrently, approve it concurrently, and it will significantly shrink the time it takes to get investment approved.
“If that happens, we will be making some decent strides towards making it easier to do business in Fiji.”
The Deputy Prime Minister also discussed the recent approval by cabinet of a policy around infrastructure projects.
“Right now, we are still reeling from a debt to GDP challenge. One of the options we’ve explored and approved through cabinet is cost sharing on infrastructure, and so that’s available to investors [in some cases],” he explained.
“The government of the day is very serious about facilitating investment.”
More to come