Neglected “Gold-Mine” In Fiji

Plea For Development of The Tourist Trade

FIJI, on the main trans-Pacific airmail route, should be turning over annually hundreds of thousands of American dollars and Australian pounds, left in the Colony by tourists. Actually, Fiji’s revenue from this source is almost negligible.

The fault lies in Suva. Judging by the steps taken officially, and unofficially, to attract tourists to Fiji, few people at the head of affairs in the Colony have any idea of what is needed in the development of a worth-while tourist trade.

What are needed, primarily, are first, a country and institutions which the overseas traveller would wish to see; second, adequate transport facilities: third, modern and pleasing accommoda tion; and, fourth; lively and vigorous publicity.

The first of these is there. Any person wishing to see something of the famous South Seas will find in Fiji all that is desired.

The second also is provided. True, few passenger steamers —for which the average tourist has a great fondness call at Fiji now. But great air-liners from America and Australia and New Zealand pass through Fiji almost daily; and the directors of the several air ser vices usually are very eager to encourage the Islands tourist traffic, so that passen ger traffic can be stimulated.

BUT there is woeful inadequacy in both the third and the fourth. The Gov ernment tries to provide the publicity, while looking hopefully to private enter prise to supply suitable hotels, internal

transportation and tourist attractions generally. But there is no overall plan, and no apparent co-ordination of effort.

The hotels —especially the Grand Pacific, the majority of the other hotels in Suva, and the Ragg chain in the other towns—are of a good class, and eager for travellers; but the accommodation they have, surplus to normal requirements, and available for overseas tourists is not nearly enough to justify an effort to bring in tourists on a scale that will affect the Colony’s economy.

Therefore, the first thing needed is a coordinated effort on the part of the Government and the big trading con cerns to encourage the establishment of more large and modern hotels.

Under present conditions, a Fiji in vestor naturally is very careful about committing himself to a hotel-building project—he so easily could find himself with a fine, expensive building on his hands, and no tourists coming along.

But, if he once had an assurance that there would be highly profitable tourist traffic to fill his hotel most of the time, he would not hesitate over the project.

SUVA, in a sense, has been putting the tourist cart in front of the tourist horse, in these recent years. In other words, the idea seems to have been to beat up a tourist traffic to show that such a thing is possible—leaving to the high gods, for the present, the problem of accommodating and entertaining the tourists —and then to expect the hotel folk to get busy with building projects.

If anything worth-while is to be done with the tourist trade, Suva must take all necessary steps to provide first-class tourist facilities; the rest will follow, al most automatically.

The Fiji Tourist Board—comprised of local gentlemen who give their time and thought to a worthy object without thought of personal reward—has for years appeared to confine its thoughts and energy to the production of publicity material. Some very excellent stuff has been compiled and distributed: but, if it had been 100 per cent, successful in its purpose, it still would have failed, be

cause there is neither adequate accommodation nor entertainment machinery for large numbers of overseas tourists.

One of the most energetic and imaginative members of the Board took the right and logical course recently when he personally interviewed the heads of the Union SS Co. Ltd. in New Zealand, and urged'that the excellent accommodation provided at the company’s Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva be doubled or trebled. That is the line to follow—provide accommo-

dation and entertainment in Fiji worth 40 - or 60 - per day, and then co-operate fully with the airline operators in bring ing dollar tourists to the Colony.

THEc course that should be followed by the authorities (official and non official) in Suva is well indicated by the history of the tourist traffic in Hawaii.

How many of our Fiijian seigneurs know that tourists now leave over 30 million dollars each year in Hawaii? How many

have made themselves acquainted with the system of tourist trade promotion followed in Honolulu?

Not long ago, the Governor of Hawaii informed the Honolulu organisation which is maintained by commercial in terests for the promotion of tourist trade, that, if that organisation would raise 600.000 dollars for publicity, the Govern ment would subsidise it dollar for dollar.

The committee raised over 600,000; and the Governor was so pleased that he made more than another 600,000 avail able.

The committee, with more than 1.500.000 dollars, then tackled the job of tourist trade promotion; and the snow balling effect of it was seen in the in troduction of an enormous amount of new money to Hawaii.

Hawaii has got magnificent hotels, and entertainment facilities, and much manu factured glamour—in all of which Fiji is singularly deficient; but Hawaii has got nothing in the way of Pacific Islands charm and beauty which Fiji has not got, and it does possess much that Hawaii has not got in the way of unspoiled natives and untouched tropical beauty.

THE promotion of Fiji tourist traffic is esentially a job for private enter prise. The directors of Fiji’s biggest trading interests should get together and form their own organisation; should give guarantees to encourage hotel building; should provide their own funds and look hopefully to the Government for a sub sidy; and then they should get the ser vices of the most capable and ex perienced Director of Tourist Trade that money can buy, and give him carte blanche.

The result, in added wealth, probably would stagger the Colony. Probably, also, it would distress many worthy people who

would like to see the Islands preserved in their pristine loveliness and simplicity.

But it would be better than permitting Fiji to stand still, as at present, while a tourist traffic of great and growing potential value is literally carried past her doors.