HON. PM BAINIMARAMA'S SPEECH AT THE 2018 ANZ FIJI EXCELLENCE IN TOURISM GALA AWARDS DINNER

The Hon. Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Local Government, Housing and Community Development;
Trustees of the Fiji Excellence and Tourism Awards;
Chair of the Organising Committee of the Awards;
Tourism Industry Stakeholders;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Bula vinaka and a very good evening to you all.

This is far from the first time I’ve had the pleasure of addressing you all at our Excellence in Tourism Awards, and I see many familiar faces here this evening. 

I do always try and find the time to be here, because tonight, we recognise excellence in an industry that has outstanding importance to the strength of our growing economy. 

Our economic growth is what is responsible for the new roads that carry travellers to your resort destinations. The newly redeveloped Nadi Airport that lands such a magnificent first impression on all those who visit Fiji. The schools that graduate talented Fijians, many of whom go on to succeed in our tourism sector. And the wide range of services that have vastly extended across the country, bringing opportunity to ordinary Fijians, communities and enterprising individuals, such as yourselves. 

It is the success of Fijian tourism that makes so much of that possible. But the contribution from tourism in Fiji is more than dollars and cents. As leaders in tourism, you are on the frontlines of putting Fiji on the map, and imbuing our visitors with that special feeling of family and friendship that can only be found in Fiji, among the Fijian people. 

Those people to people connections are real, and their value cannot be measured. They extend all across the world, where treasured moments live on in the memories of all those who have spent time with us, whether they were visiting here in Denarau, in Suva, Taveuni, or any of the beautiful destinations we are blessed to call part of our country. 

Last month, we welcomed the first-ever bilateral visit from an Australian Prime Minister to Fiji. It was a proud moment, and a sure sign that our nations finally stand on equal footing. 

But for Prime Minister Morrison, that historic visit was not his first time in our country. He, his wife Jenny, and his two daughters had spent a number of their vacations in Fiji before. They knew our people and they knew the high measure of our friendship and hospitality. And I know for a fact that – for Prime Minister Morrison personally – his past experiences with Fiji, with his family, were a major reason why he was so passionate about working with me to reimagine our relationship and deepen our bilateral ties. And now, we’re officially family, through the new, aptly named, Vuvale Partnership between Fiji and Australia. A partnership rooted in our shared values of family and friendship. 

It’s really a wonderful story; and it is one that began right here, in Fiji, where Mr Morrison first had the chance to get to know who we are, as a nation and as a people. And that story goes much the same way for the hundreds of thousands of travellers who visit us every year and return home with an understanding and an affinity for all that defines who we are, as Fijians. Now, I know that every traveller enjoying a drink on a beach here in Denarau won’t go on to lead a nation. But who knows. Regardless, the love each of our visitors finds for our country shows us the tremendous power of the people to people connections that can be built through this industry. 

That should make all of us very proud. But that’s not the only reason we have to pat ourselves on the back this evening. Every time that I’ve spoken with all of you in the past, we’ve had yet another round of excellent numbers to report on the year. Tonight, I’m glad to say we have no reason to break tradition. 

Our visitor arrivals remain on the rise in 2018, peaking at over 870,000, a new record. 

In July alone, we passed 95,000 arrivals, a new single-month high for Fijian tourism. 

Thanks to another record smashing year, Fijian tourism is now a 1.9-billion-dollar industry. Well on pace to hit our 2.2-billion-dollar goal in 2021. 

Even more importantly, this industry employs tens of thousands of Fijian workers ¬–– a total that continues to expand year after year. So, we have more Fijians securing employment in a growing industry who are able to provide for their families and support their communities. As Prime Minister, I don’t believe there is any greater measure of our success than that. 

Supported by an increasingly diverse mix of industries, including tourism, our economy has now grown for nine straight years. We now sit on the cusp of a decade of unbroken growth, breaking the record stretch we set last year. A decade of development, driven by a decade of excellence in Fijian tourism. Tonight, we raise the bar even further, as we celebrate innovation, sustainability, and service delivery across your industry. 
But before we get to the awards, I want to make an important point. 

I know those in this room feel the benefits of growth in our tourism industry. More visitor arrivals mean more rooms are filled, more dinners are served, more boats are chartered, and more tours are filled. Fijians across the country feel the benefits as well, they secure jobs, they are able to drive on new roads, cross new bridges and welcome new developments. But, if you’re a family struggling to make ends meet in Bua, a cane farmer toiling day in and day out in Lautoka, or a student fresh from university seeking their first full-time position, are you really feeling the full benefits this industry can offer? Not always. In fact, I think there are thousands of Fijians who have been on the fringes of our tourism development for far too long, and that is why I’m a big fan of this evening’s theme, “Tourism Benefitting All Fijians”. Not some Fijians, or some big, overseas companies, but all Fijians, everywhere in Fiji. 

Let me give you an example. We currently meet 48 per cent of the fresh produce needs in our hotels with domestically grown produce, up from only 20 per cent in 2011. That’s good, it’s not great. That percentage should be much higher, and our farmers in Fiji could be earning a whole lot more. That’s not a fantasy, it is possible, in fact, it’s already happening. And I want to give credit to the Outrigger Resort, Castaway, Treasure Island Resort, among others, for leading the charge in sourcing from local farmers –– impressively, up to 90 per cent of their produce is “Fijian Grown”.

People come to Fiji because they want more than just another beach and another cold beer. You can get that in any number of vacation destinations. What our visitors crave it to be immersed is the genuine and authentic experience we can offer. They want the history, they want the culture, they want to spend time with and learn from our people. They want a Fijian experience, top to bottom. From the meals they are served, to the excursions they embark upon, to the bures they can call home throughout their stay. 

Which do you think our visitors would prefer? A typical dinner made up of a boatload of imported ingredients, or a meal prepared by ingredients sourced from Fijian farmers, perhaps by produce under our new Fijian-Organic brand? I think that answer is obvious. 

There’s only one way to truly offer a fully immersive Fijian experience. And that is by tapping the ingenuity and the ambition of our people. When you partner with a small or micro tourism enterprise in Fiji, you bring your guests one step closer to that real, rewarding Fijian experience they’re after. 

As those in this room know, tourism markets are fast-evolving. And the winds of fortune will not favour the generic or the mundane. By working to fit our local tourism operators in your value chain, you give yourself that competitive advantage that your business, and this industry, you will leave your guests with that inescapable feeling that they’ve enjoyed a special experience, among a special people, that can only be found in a special country, like Fiji. 

But when I say, “Benefitting All Fijians” I don’t only mean in the here and now. We need to think bigger than the present day, over the longer term. And that means protecting and preserving the health of our natural environment. 

I want to recognise all of the tourism operators – and we have many – who are fully committed to the preservation of our mangroves, forests, reefs, shorelines, and all of the flora and fauna that collectively make up our ecosystem. I know many of you personally. I know the lengths you will go to ensure development does not come at the expense of the health of our natural environment. Your Government shares that passion and commitment. We know, as the vast majority of you know, that a healthy natural environment is the very bedrock on which this industry succeeds. Our environment is not some endless source of beauty and bounty. It is a limited resource, and it must be protected. 

I have been alarmed by recent cases of apparent breaches of environmental protections here in Fiji, and I want to repeat that such breaches should be met with the full force of the law. No exceptions. If you break our laws, you will be punished. We’ll soon be rolling out an environmental hotline, where Fijians can report abuses of our environment, wherever they see it happening. So, to any developer, from anywhere in the world, let me say this: if you intend to destroy or forever degrade our environment, you are not welcome in Fiji. I assure you, our hospitality has hard and fast limits, and we don’t take kindly to anyone who violates our laws. No matter the size of your development, no matter how grand the promises you carry with you may be. 

Last year, I spoke about how the number of tourists nearly matched the number of people living in Fiji –– and this year, we came even closer to passing that threshold. But as our resorts continue to develop, as we attract more visitors, and a higher paying selection of travellers, and as this industry continues to grow, we need to think more seriously about how to make that growth, and this industry, more inclusive. 

I’ve had more than a few Fijians come to me personally saying that they’ve not felt welcome when going on a weekend “stay-cation”, taking a day trip, or grabbing dinner, at some of our fancier resorts. Given that it’s Valentine’s Day weekend, I suspect we have plenty of Fijian couples looking to do exactly that this weekend. When they do arrive at your doors, they ought to be treated exactly the same way as anyone else who you welcome on your premises. Because, as businesses in our country, you must be open to all of our people, all the time. They deserve the same level of service, they deserve the same level of attention and they deserve to feel welcome at resorts in their own country. Full stop.

Only by sharing this hospitality with each other, and by spreading the economic impact of the sector far and wide, we will truly cultivate a tourism industry that benefits all Fijians.

With that, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for offering me your hospitality tonight. I extend my warm congratulations to tonight’s award winners and nominees, I thank ANZ and other sponsors for their continued commitment to this vital industry. Let’s celebrate our successes, and continue our remarkable progress in the year ahead.

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.