$68 million for tourism industry, Vanua Levu in progress plan

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has been allocated $68.8 million in the 2024-25 National Budget.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics Biman Prasad announced this in his budget address on Friday.

He said this included the Tourism Fiji grant of $44m and $13.6m for the Fiji Tourism Development Programme in Vanua Levu.

$15k to boost pilot tourism MSME Fund Mr Prasad said in a bid to support and empower tourism MSMEs, Government has set up an MSME fund.

“We are setting up a pilot Tourism MSME fund that will assist rural communities to assist in creating an enabling environment for investment, decent employment, and sustainable tourism activities,” Mr Prasad said.

Comparison 

In the 2023-2024 budget, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation was allocated $52.3m.

Tourism Fiji was allocated an operating grant of $7m and to support new marketing strategies an increased marketing grant of $30m had been provided in the new financial year.

A new $US200m ($FJ449.5m) World Bank-funded Fiji Tourism development program is in place for Vanua Levu.

The new project’s financing of $US61.5m ($FJ138m) for the first phase is part of a larger $US200 million package approved for the 10-year multi-stage tourism programme for Vanua Levu.

Government has allocated $5m in the next financial year to start the project. The first phase focuses on bolstering tourism in Vanua Levu, including Taveuni, by improving drainage, sewage, and transport infrastructure, including an upgrade of Labasa and Savusavu airports, and an upgrade of the 95-kilometre road connecting the two towns.

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