Chairman of Fiji Visitors Bureau gives his views.
As GM of Matamanoa Patrick Wong [pictured right] spoke to The Mole at the closing BFTE event saying that while people may be concerned for the safety aspect they can see through BFTE that everybody is here and has not deterred anybody.
He said that Matamanoa had ridden the challenges post coup very well, but our general problem is that the private sector is working very hard trying to get Fiji back to what it was before.
The uncertainty with the taxation laws from 2006 have also affected us, but certainly we are going to do everything can and turn businesses around and claw back business that has to go to other destinations,
As Chairman of FVB, Patrick recognised that there were massive challenges ahead and the political climate has not helped, but getting the Interim PM to BFTE was a real “coup”, adding that the he had a meeting with the Interim PM and it was very positive and promising and he was impressed with what he said and that he now appeared to understand tourism, but no promises were made, but, “we are getting there”.
In addition our markets are now visiting elsewhere and we need to get them back to Fiji.
We have to get our act together to get businesses going again.
Report by The Mole on location for Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange, brought to you by Pacific Blue.
John Alwyn-Jones
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