Namosi Eco Retreat Owner, Mr Daniel Jason Sovatabua,

Representatives from the Vanua,

People of Navunikabi Community,

Invited Guests,

Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bula vinaka and a very Good Afternoon to all of you.

Thank you for the warm welcome. I’ll admit this is my first time visiting Namosi Eco Retreat and I can see why you are fast becoming one of Fiji’s most treasured tourism products.

So it really is a pleasure to be here today, and to be a part of another step in your business as you open the refurbished Namosi Eco Retreat Bures.

This eco-tourism venture will provide an additional avenue of income for the people of Navunikabi village, here in Namosi.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namosi Eco Retreat is a “digital detox” giving guests a break from mobile phone, internet, and electricity access. The beautiful environment and hospitality helps people rejuvenate and recharge before heading back to the hectic life. This exceptional product gives Namosi Eco Retreat an edge. So we should value this offering and ensure that it is not exploited or damaged. “Point of Difference”

Namosi Eco Retreat attracts guests from Europe and other parts of Oceania who want a chance to reconnect with nature and escape the “chains” of work emails.

I would like to thank everyone who was involved in rebuilding this facility. I personally want to acknowledge the ladies who help move the materials (which included gravel, cement, timber etc) across the river. This is a true example of how our community spirit can be used for the greater good.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tourism experiences like Namosi Eco Retreat are what positions Fiji more uniquely. From January to August this year, we recovered 60 percent of pre-COVID visitor arrivals. This shows that we have achieved 70% of our visitor arrival target for the year – which is 55 percent of 2019 arrivals.

If we look at value, tourism earnings for the first half of the year stood at $446.9 million. So we have also recovered 50 percent of tourism revenue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What this essentially means is that we need to be ready to receive tourists. And given our expected arrivals, we must find a way to bring them outside of Nadi and Sigatoka and Suva to spread the tourism dollar.

Facilities like Namosi Eco Retreat offer something different and a unique experience. It provides guests with an authentic experience, combining culture and adventure with eco-tourism. The refurbished section continues the traditional village comprising 10 Bures and a large dining hall, (Valenikana), all handcrafted by local people using Fijian building methods and materials.

That is why we invested in this venture. It adds value to our basket of “Things to Do in Fiji”. We wanted you to be ready to accept tourists once the borders opened up.

The Fijian retreat team takes pride in educating people about their culture and sharing their traditional and modern cuisine and farming lifestyle.

We are confident that you will be able to sustain yourselves in the long term. We know that you will look after visitors well and offer them a true Fijian experience. That is why we invested in the project. To restart and kick start your operations

That is where the Grant support of $24,000, through the Integrated Human Resources Development Programme (IHRDP) is important. The investment in our MSMEs is important.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Fijian Government believes that the best and most effective way to economically empower the rural communities, is to identify what they do best and provide them the necessary support to achieve that vision.

I would like to remind the Namosi Eco Retreat and community at large, that you need to take full ownership of the business and ensure that it flourishes and grows.

Furthermore, you need to look after the bures and maintain them. I encourage you all to work hard with pride and continue to press on into the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen

With those words, it gives me great pleasure to officially declare the refurbished Namosi Eco Retreat open.

Vinaka Vakalevu.