Fiji to improve standards and adopts Aus AAA grading

Fiji Islands Hotels and Tourism Association president Dixon Seeto, speaking at the 18th Fiji-Australia Business Council Forum at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort this week, said that Fijian Government needs to be consistent in the application of its licensing and standards regulations to all hospitality institutions without exception.   

“While we encourage SMEs, eco and village type tourism we need to be mindful that the whole industry can be tarnished by standard failures in one particular segment,” Mr Seeto said.

The comments come as last week Tourism Ministry chief executive Napolioni Masirewa told the Fiji Tourism Resource Owners Association workshop in Suva that the backpacker market was declining.

It decreased from 19 per cent of the tourism market in 2002 to 17 per cent in 2003 and 13 per cent last year. Part of the reason, he said, could be the standard of services.

Mr Seeto said the association was going through the process of adopting the AAA grading system from Australia to ensure quality of service and facilities.

“Customers and Consumer Associations are now more aware and active in the area of consumer’s rights. “Compensation and refund claims are now commonplace for service lapses,” he said.

Mr Seeto said there had been reports that the Government does not want any more integrated resort development and would like to see more backpacker, ecotourism and village type development to spread the benefits of the industry to outlaying areas and islands.

“I suggest that to fast track development in less popular areas we need to have incentives like Government has introduced in the north for other types of industries but not for tourism. While I commend this move, we can support both types of developments.”

There is a need to create critical mass for cost considerations and also to enhance the attraction of integrated developments. “I believe that for the holistic development of the industry, there should an integrated approach for incentives to be broadened to include the other areas of the tourism industry such as transportation, watercraft and equipment,” he said.

The association also called on the government to update its Tourism Development Plan as it expires this year.

“While there are designated Tourism Development Areas the zoning for some are still for light industrial and residential only which frustrates investors and show that we need to get our act together,” he said.

“While we encourage SMEs, eco and village type tourism we need to be mindful that the whole industry can be tarnished by standard failures in one particular segment,” Mr Seeto said. 

The comments come as last week Tourism Ministry chief executive Napolioni Masirewa told the Fiji Tourism Resource Owners Association workshop in Suva that the backpacker market was declining, with decreases from 19% of the tourism market in 2002 to 17% in 2003 and 13% last year.  Part of the reason, he said, could be the standard of services.

Mr Seeto said the association was going through the process of adopting the AAA grading system from Australia to ensure quality of service and facilities. “Customers and Consumer Associations are now more aware and active in the area of consumer’s rights.  “Compensation and refund claims are now commonplace for service lapses,” he said. 

Mr Seeto said there had been reports that the Government does not want any more integrated resort development and would like to see more backpacker, ecotourism and village type development to spread the benefits of the industry to outlaying areas and islands.   “I suggest that to fast track development in less popular areas we need to have incentives like what Government has introduced in the north for other types of industries but not for tourism”.  “While I commend this move, we can support both types of developments, there is a need to create critical mass for cost considerations and also to enhance the attraction of integrated developments”.

“I believe that for the holistic development of the industry, there should an integrated approach for incentives to be broadened to include the other areas of the tourism industry such as transportation, watercraft and equipment,” he said. 

The association also called on the government to update its Tourism Development Plan as it expires this year.  “While there are designated Tourism Development Areas the zoning for some are still for light industrial and residential only which frustrates investors and show that we need to get our act together,” he said.