The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MITT) in collaboration with leading inbound tour operator Tour Managers, Government agencies Tourism Fiji, Department of Heritage and Arts and the Lomaiviti Provincial office, visited four villages in Ovalau to get a first-hand experience of the communities’ product offerings on Thursday and Friday, 28 – 29 November 2019. This visit followed a scoping exercise conducted on 5 – 6 September, 2019.
Villagers from Lovoni, Nukutocia, Visoto and Tokou showcased the best of their cultural and historical assets as part of the tour itineraries. Stories were told in various forms, drama, site visits and traditional dance which depicted Fiji’s days of warfare, slavery, black birding and introduction of Christianity to the island. The tour itineraries were developed to realize tourism potential and support income generating projects for the villages.
Such itineraries meet the demands of today’s tourist who search and spend money on immersive and experiential travel. There is huge potential in this area which the Ministry plans to develop through its tourism awareness and community engagement project.
The Permanent Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Shaheen Ali, said collaborative efforts between the Ministry and stakeholders help refocus the strategic direction for tourism in Fiji as part of the Fijian Tourism 2021 development plan.
“This initiative contributes to strategies on increasing the value of, and diversifying Fiji’s tourism offerings and also supports the development and participation of micro, small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector,” said Mr Ali.
He added that the exercise is led by the Tourism Unit and the newly created Unit of “MSME Fiji” of the Ministry who work closely with the communities to ensure they derive benefits from the tourism industry.
According to Ms Inise Mucunabitu (Tourism Fiji’s International Visitation Programme Manager) the trip was a great experience and an eye opener for her personally through which she was able to learn a lot of history about the region.
Mr Seresio Druguta of Tokou village in Ovalau said “this is a good initiative from the Government that brings us together to work toward a common goal and cause”. He added that tourism is a great vehicle for peace building with the benefit of supporting the preservation and revival of their culture and tradition, adding that villagers worked together and coordinated to ensure their village was safe, clean and welcoming in preparation toward the engagement.
The Ministry will continue to support resource owners to realize tourism potential and encourage product development and diversification through similar initiatives.
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