Governor Impressed With New Resort

Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) Governor, Ariff Ali was impressed with pro­gress at the upcoming Radisson Blu Mirage Resort on Naisoso, Nadi.

Mr Ali was on a visit to the Western Divi­sion meeting with hoteliers and business owners earlier this week.

He said the purpose of the visit was to gauge the progress of companies to see the first-hand challenges impacting business operations.

He said the information gathered would then form part of RBF’s next gross domes­tic product (GDP) forecast, which comes out in May.

Mr Ali said it was known that tourism formed the largest sector of Fiji’s economy and there was a need to grow tourism num­bers in the future.

“At present we don’t have enough room inventories and it has been quoted that we need 3000 rooms,” Mr Ali said.

“It was critical for investors to increase the rooms numbers so it was good that Rel­corp, the developers, have already started and almost completed the groundwork for the new resort.

“This will bring in an additional 250 rooms so this will go a long way to helping tourism and at the same time looking at employing around 500 people.

“This development is so timely, but we need at least another six or seven of these types of developments.”

Local accommodation needed to match the number of seats provided by Fiji Airways.

“I am very impressed with what is hap­pening here on Naisoso Island with the new resort and I have known him (Bob Lowres, managing director of Relcorp) for more than 20 years.”

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