Caution, warning and enthusiasm
pp. 57-59 · Read in the full issue
enthusiasm
• As you've just read, there are big developments in South Pacific aviation—all based on predictions of a tourist flood. But how is the tourist picture shaping up generally? How are the hotel operators getting on? And the Islanders themselves? In the next few pages correspondents report on the latest, and somewhat confusing opinions. First, from SUE WENDT in Suva.
In the midst of what was virtually Tourism Week in Fiji (with the holding of the Pacific Area Travel Association’s board of directors meeting, the Bth Annual Fiji Tourism Convention and the official and very elaborate opening of the Suva Travelodge hotel) came warnings against over supply of hotel rooms, cautious comments on the benefit of tourism to Fijians and enthusiastic predictions of further “tourism explosions” in the South Pacific.
At the PATA meeting, chaired by Mr. Matt Laurie, a vice-president of the Matson Shipping Line, speakers outlined the massive promotion cam paigns being conducted in North America and elsewhere. “Go Pacific” was the PATA theme—and members predicted that audio-visual techniques would bring more tourists to the area.
Unfortunately, there were no Indian or Fijian tourism representatives at the meeting, although the afternoon session had been thrown open to all comers, so that those who’ve lately voiced concern over whether the local
populace benefits enough from tour ism lost a golden opportunity.
At the opening session of the Bth Annual Fiji Tourism Convention in Suva (local tourist interests were well represented here) the Chief Minister, Ratu K. K. T. Mara, stressed the importance of considering socio logical environment.
He said the intrusion of a money economy on what was largely a coco nut cash subsistence economy was forcing the Fijians to be Jacks-of-all trades and masters of none. (Over)
'ijians worship land
“Promoters, managers and staff in te tourist industry must have regard ► the sociological environment of the gions in which they operate. They ust look at them with sympathy and iderstanding,” Ratu Mara said.
“While an increasing number of ijians have drifted into the vortex money economy, the Fijians’ life general is based on a subsistence onomy which tends to put land on pedestal to worship, rather than to e. It implies and requires a regard r shareholding and for mutual spect.”
But the tourist industry provides bs for which Fijians were eminently ited, he said. He referred to tour n as “manna from the sky and sea” d stressed the importance of ensur
ing that this “manna” had the widest possible distribution.
During the same week, New Zealand tourism expert Mr. R. S.
Odell’s report on Fiji’s hotel require ments—prepared at the request of the Fiji Government—was released. It contained a warning against a further over-supply of rooms in the Suva area.
Mr. Odell, who was formerly general manager of the New Zealand Government’s Tourist and Publicity Department, pointed out that an over supply of hotel rooms in Fiji was almost wholly concentrated in Suva.
Too many enterpreneurs had com mitted themselves simultaneously, at a stage when Suva had been badly short of rooms. At present there were rooms enough in Suva to meet the demand for at least two years, he said.