Sustainable Tourism in Fiji: Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies

This essay provides a detailed analysis of sustainable tourism in Fiji, examining its potential, challenges, and strategies for long-term viability. It highlights the importance of balancing economic benefits with social and environmental considerations. The essay discusses the role of the Fijian government, local communities, and foreign investors in promoting sustainable tourism practices. It also addresses issues such as resource conservation, cultural preservation, and community involvement. Furthermore, the essay suggests policy recommendations for the Fijian government to enhance the sustainability of its tourism industry, including improving infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and investing in environmental protection. Desklib offers more resources, including past papers and solved assignments, for students studying sustainable tourism and development.

Nursing Degree Sustainability
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Sustainable tourism is a future directed planning and monitoring mechanism which
mainly deals with the protection from the potential threats of severe and irreversible nature.
For sustainable tourism precautions should be taken even before the occurrence of threat.
Consideration of cause and effect relationship of threats is very important in sustainable
tourism. Fiji government identified potential of Fiji tourism and incorporated it in the national
development planning and established Green Growth Framework for Fiji. Tourism Satellite
Accounts (TSA) and UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) proved
helpful for the Fiji to assess the sustainability of the tourist business in Fiji. Landscapes, flora
and fauna, good climate, clean sandy beaches and friendly people are the requirements for the
sustainable tourism. All these requirements are available in Fiji. Different stakeholders like
Government agencies, local people, and foreign investors have significant role in the
sustainable tourism (Brebbia et al., 2014; Harris et al., 2014).
It is evident that, most of the tourism operations are established without
considerations of the interest of local community people and these people are not allowed to
take part in decision making. Another aspect of social consideration that people from the
villages nearby tourists places are getting employment opportunities. Eco-resorts in the Fiji
are allowing local people to sale their products at these resorts. Hence, they are getting good
livelihood. These resorts are also supporting local community people by providing them
medical facilities which are not available at their villages. Hence, issue of interest of local
people gets nullified. Fiji is a poor country and approximately 25 % people are poor. In such
scenario, building luxury resorts in such country looks weird instead of building houses for
poor people. However, these luxury resorts would be helpful in drawing huge tourists which
would be helpful in sustainable tourism. Social incorporation in the tourism is achieved by
providing education in mangrove restoration and watershed projects. Traditional Fijian
‘Bobo’ and ‘Duavata’ style massage is the special attraction for the tourists. These efforts are
attracting more tourists to Fiji. People in the Fiji need to adjust their lives due to tourism.
These people need to do shopping at different timings to avoid overcrowding at market
places. Sometimes these local people need to remove themselves from the community to
escape from the overcrowding. Fiji is a small island and it has its own values and cultures.
Tourism can dilute its values and cultures. Fiji is multicultural society and both Fijians and
Indians are residing in Fiji. Fijians prefer outdoor jobs where they can be in direct contact
with the foreign tourists. On the other hand, Indians prefer indoor jobs which can keep them
isolated from the tourists (Cheer and Lew, 2017; Wood, 2017).
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Resource conservation is the most important factor in terms of environmental factors
for sustainable tourism. Environmental friendly resorts are becoming widely popular for
tourists in the Fiji. These resorts are getting appreciation for sustainability initiatives. These
resorts are meant to minimize environmental impact and maximize community benefits.
These resorts are promoting environmental protection by organically cultivating vegetables
and incorporating marine biologists in its staff. Many coral reefs get affected due to tourism
and it affected environment badly. Few of the reefs sustained irreversible damage. Increasing
influx of tourism in the in Fiji leads to the competition for use of natural resources among
tourism, households, agriculture and industry. Snorkelling and scuba diving are the major
tourists attractions in Fiji, however these sports have direct impact on the wellbeing of
thousands of species of fish, reptiles, mammals, and corals. These divers and operators can
damage natural and environmental heritage. Golf is another tourist attraction in the Fiji and it
can produce pollution in Fiji. Golf can damage environment by use of fertilizer runoff and
drawing farmers in land scarcity for farming (Reddy and Wilkes, 2012).
Worldwide tourism is a labour intensive industry and it is also true for Fiji. Fijians
who lives near the hotels and resorts are getting good job opportunities. Tourism in Fiji is
good for economy of local community. People from villages nearby tourist places are
creating job opportunities for themselves and making their livelihood. Few international
companies are also running tourist business in Fiji and these companies are making efforts to
give local community their share. These people are getting jobs in the form of tourist guides
and educators and adding to their own financial condition and to the national economy.
International companies are offering experienced guides to peruse higher education and take
over managerial positions at the resorts. People in the Fiji are protecting fishing from the
international fishing agencies. This effort is giving these native people a very good economic
stability and sustainability. People in the Fiji utilising money earned from the tourism for
better living conditions and improving quality of life. People in the Fiji are ready to take
hardships and hassles coming their way along with tourism because it is helping their
economy (Modica and Uysal, 2016; Torres and Momsen, 2011).
Fiji government should give more attention in maintaining law and order in the
country. Effective measures should be taken to eliminate crime. High quality security would
be helpful in attracting tourists and it would also be helpful in securing national property
which can be invested for attracting more tourists. Government should make policies so that
more number of local people should take ownership of hotels and resorts. It would be helpful
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in retaining funds internally. Investment packages should be provided for the local people.
Purchase of local items should be mandatory for the establishment of the hotels and resorts.
Government should make efforts to reduce leakage due to earnings of the tourism. Support
should be extended to the agri-based projects so that it would reduce imported food.
Government should work in collaboration with private firms to identify loopholes in the
tourism industry and fill these gaps. Government need to allocate sufficient budget for the
marketing of tourism in Fiji. Fiji Visitors Bureau and Marketing Division of the Fiji Islands
Trade and Investment Bureau should be incorporated in the marketing of tourism in Fiji. Tax
exemption should be provided to the investors in tourism business in Fiji. It would be helpful
in making Fiji as the most attractive tourism destination. Government should allocate more
resources for the development and construction of infrastructure facilities like roads, water,
electricity and sewage (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2015). Government should identify
specific areas with potential of tourism development and make tourism clusters in that
particular area. Government should promote youth of Fiji for skill development necessary for
tourism and provide them training for skill development. Government should make efforts to
prevent emigration of skilled persons because in recent past, more number of skilled workers
were emigrating from the Fiji. Government should make flexible policies and guidelines
related to the work permits. It would be helpful in meeting human resource requirement of
the tourism industry in Fiji. Proper attention should be given to prevent deforestation in Fiji
to maintain environmental balance. Environmental protection can be achieved by investing
more in environmental protection from the revenues obtained by the tourism incurred due to
environmental factors (Brebbia et al., 2014; Cheer and Lew, 2017).
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References:
Brebbia, C. A., Favro, S., Pineda, F. D. (2014). Sustainable Tourism VI. WIT Press.
Cheer, J. M., and Lew, A. A. (2017). Tourism, Resilience and Sustainability: Adapting to
Social, Political and Economic change. Routledge.
Harris, R., Williams, P., and Griffin, T. (2012). Sustainable Tourism. Routledge.
Miller, G., and Twining-Ward, L. (2005). Monitoring for a Sustainable Tourism Transition.
CABI.
Modica, P., and Uysal, M. (2016). Sustainable Island Tourism: Competitiveness and Quality
of Life. CABI.
Reddy, M. V., and Wilkes, K. (2012). Tourism, Climate Change and Sustainability.
Routledge.
Torres, R. M., and Momsen, J. H. (2011). Tourism and Agriculture: New Geographies of
Consumption, Production and rural restructuring. Taylor & Francis.
Wood, M. E. (2017). Sustainable Tourism on a Finite Planet: Environmental, Business and
Policy Solutions. Taylor & Francis.
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