A Fiji 'recipe for disaster'

Mr Wesley Barrett, managing director of Cathay Hotels (Fiji) Ltd, has given a positive lead to attempts to bolster Fiji’s stagnant tourist in dustry by slashing room rates on the company’s hotels by 24 per cent from July 1. Mr Barrett’s announcement, in May, was followed two weeks later by official figures which showed that the number of visitors to Fiji in January was 14.4 per cent below the January, 1974, figure.

High costs in all segments of the tourist industry were a topic keenly discussed at the April tourism con vention in Fiji. But no one segment was prepared to shoulder the blame; rather, one was only too ready to say it was high costs in another sector

which was the main factor preventing growth.

Mr Barrett said before the conven tion he felt Fiji was pricing itself out of the tourist market. Announcing the new rates, he said the industry was depressed, and was facing tough competition from other Pacific countries. These two factors, added to prices which put a Fiji holiday out of the reach of many people, could be a recipe for disaster. It was important for Fiji to move quickly and again make its prices competitive.

Cathay Hotels operates the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, the Cathay Hotel, Lautoka, Tubakula Beach Bungalows, on the Coral Coast, and

Saweni Beach apartments, near Lau toka.

The January statistics showed that the number of American visitors was down by 35.4 per cent. Other falls, by country, were Australia 2.6 per cent, New Zealand 8.6 per cent and Canada 12 per cent. Twelve cruise ships carrying 13,353 passengers visited Fiji in January, compared with 15, carrying 16,381 passengers in January, 1974.

The New Zealand Government dealt a blow to the Fiji tourist in dustry when it brought down the budget, which removed the duty concession allowed on stereo record players. Importers feared that hun dreds of thousands of sets, worth $3 to $4 million would remain un sold. Mr M. K. Patel, a director of the Fiji Visitors Bureau, who holds a concession at Nadi Airport, described the move as “ethically and morally wrong”. Fiji importers were given no warning of the move—which invites the question—how is the NZ Government obliged to inform Fiji importers or anybody else, of bud getary moves, which are confidential anyway?

Mr Patel claimed the NZ Govern ment should have reduced the num ber of sets a person was allowed to take in, or stipulated that they could only be used personally, if NZ wanted to reduce the flow of funds overseas.

Black market for

rice In W, Samoa

Western Samoans have an in satiable appetite for rice. The de mand is so heavy that rice orders for stores are often sold off the de livery truck before there is any chance of getting them on to the shelf.

Recently a co-operative store manager described a delivery of seven truck loads, each of 200 sacks, as “drops in the ocean”.

A black market is slowly develop ing. The wholesale price is around $8.70 a sack, but some village shops are selling it for $9 a sack. One village was reported to be selling rice at $l5 a sack. Shipments cannot arrive quickly enough.

Niue short

of manpower

Niue is suffering a shortage of manpower and this is delaying pro gress on several major development projects.

In a recent advertisement in the local government-controlled weekly newspaper the Public Works Depart ment reported there were about 50 positions for skilled and semi-skilled tradesmen.

“Applications will be accepted from

all sections of the community on Niue and outside of Niue. If you have relations or friends overseas who want work they will find a a £' amval ’” in NZ who return to Nine to w U get naid locTl rates between 60 cents and * ,n » horn ' dBB cents an ■*»%/■' lI A wuugamvilie TO

aid 'nGalecfed' areas

-t- R ■ ... D .

The Itougamville Provincial Gov eminent is developing an ambitious j£ an *Jet up► a local fishing industry * or + th f oat A er lsl ands of Nissan, £ a^ ere * s ;. ° Ck ’ a Tasman . and rt •' t f h ; , people will use traditional methods to catch fish and dive for trochus shell. A new company, Atoll Ship ping Pty Ltd, formed by the govern ment, will buy the fish from the people and sell it in places like Kieta, Arawa and Panguna No other fishing industry will be allowed in Bougainville, as fish in waters round the island are a limited economic resource.