Editorial: Smaller Tourism Operators Need To Leg-Up To Thrive In Industry

There was a simple message for small and medium tourist operators or backpackers attending the Digital Tourism Workshop in Nadi yesterday.

The message was that if they do not have a website then they cannot survive in the industry.

Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association CEO Fantasha Lockington highlighted one area in Fiji’s tourism sector where a lot more focus needs to be and that is small and medium-sized tourism projects, including backpackers’ accommodation.

Many of our remote and village-based tourism projects could have been far better off today than what they are if they had been better exposed to the digital world.

Usually when such conferences are held, only a few and most times the same, small operators attend.

Mrs Lockington rightly pointed out that this needs to change and more focus, accompanied by financial support for all our small operators to be up to date in the digital world or tourism.

They must be allowed to learn, but most do not have the capital to attend workshops that disseminate that make them more than being “computer savvy”.

This is where the support, financially, must be avail- able so that no one gets left behind in the industry.

Bigger tourism operators, including renowned resorts and hotels, should also be taking the “big brother approach”.

Village projects, whether it be for eco-tourism in the interior or the main islands or backpacker resorts on islands are usually born with much enthusiasm.

Many think that Facebook and other social media accounts are enough to get the message through to tourists that they are operational.

We have seen many of these projects die or downsize further because they either lacked capital to develop further or did not get proper guidance.

The workshop conducted yesterday by the Pacific Trade Invest Australia had a bigger number of small operators in attendance and their eagerness and some- what surprise on what they had or were missing out on was noticeable.

They saw the different sites that they could log on to and were offered a chance of having their own website being funded by PTI.

This chance to move their business forward is now looking real, and for once, with more confirmation on bookings.

Tourism industry stakeholders, Government and the private sector must now begin to help our small and medium-sized operators.

Five-star hotels and resorts have their own share of the tourism market and those who travel to these small operators obviously cannot afford the luxury, thus the reason to choose budget accommodation.

As Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said, he would like to move Fiji forward and leave no one behind.

These small tourism operators need our help for their survival and they should get assistance.

They must not be left behind because they will also contribute to the country’s GDP and in turn, once the business picks up, see the ripple effect flow through their families, their villages and sustain them in the long run.