Travel to Fiji is bouncing back in a big way. In the first quarter of this year, Australian visitation was higher than even pre-pandemic levels, while national carrier Fiji Airways is recording bookings for more passengers than in 2019.
But with this success comes challenges. One such challenge relates to the supply of accommodation in Fiji, specifically the overall number of hotel rooms the nation needs.
Citing government ministers, Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said the country needed “4,000 to 5,000 rooms … immediately to meet demand”.
“That’s very true. We certainly don’t want to turn anybody away from Fiji,” he told delegates at the recent Fiji Tourism Expo (FTE).
To help stimulate investment, Tourism Fiji hosted the inaugural Fiji Tourism Investment Summit in March and attended Asia Pacific’s largest hotel industry conference, AHICE, in Adelaide in early May.
But there are already a number of projects in the pipeline for the island nation.
A new Crowne
Chief among these is the newly announced Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, which will add nearly 400 rooms to Fiji’s hotel inventory.
According to Hill, there are also a number of “smaller … still significant” projects like the 180-room Hilton Garden Inn Suva, 100-room Wananavu Beach Resort in Suncoast, 90-room Wyndham Garden Wailoaloa Beach and 40-room Ramada Seafront Apartments in the Coral Coast.
“So when you add all of those [up], and there’s another few that just weren’t ready to announce at FTE … that should add about another 400 rooms … so it really takes us to around about a thousand rooms,” Hill said.
“Plus of course, we have the Westin [Denarau Island Resort & Spa] project due for completion next year, which is a full renovation on a significant property.”
Then there are extensions to existing properties like the villa addition at Vacala Bay Resort, Taveuni, and the creation of a number of new transit hotels, like the North Pole near Nadi airport.
Speaking to Karryon at FTE, IHG Hotels & Resorts Area General Manager South Pacific Islands Lachlan Walker said he expected the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa (previously Pullman Nadi Bay Resort And Spa Fiji) to be open for business by the end of the year.
The hotel, which he says will be a “destination in itself”, will boast a new day spa, two-storey kids club, no less than seven eateries, and the Pacific’s only whiskey bar, not to mention some pretty swanky-looking rooms.
Ambitiously, Walker says the property even has the making of another Denarau [Island], in reference to the spot most high-end hotels close to Nadi are currently located, but with a “nicer beach”.
Host of FTE 2024?
The property is apparently also in talks with Tourism Fiji to potentially host FTE 2024. Although that remains only a possibility, the resort will still house the country’s largest venue space once completed.
The Tourism Fiji boss told Karryon the dates for FTE 2024 would be identical to this year’s event, so 6-8 May 2024.
Karryon attended FTE 2023 at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort.
Read how Fiji Airways plans to fly to more cities in Australia.