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Fiji Fiji

Eco-Challenge Fiji signage in New York (L) and the race begins in Fiji. Photo: Amazon

stand up paddle (SUP) legs, and then I looked after the outrig- the perception of Fiji from just a “flop and drop” (beach and
ger leg as well, to the finish. [It was] really exciting, I loved family) destination to more diverse experiences. He says Eco-
every second of it.” Challenge has: “reminded the world of how amazing Fiji is as
He says the program has left a positive legacy on com- an adventure destination. As we saw, there are some stun-
munities, but suggests there has been a missed opportunity ning sites around Fiji that had not been previously on visitors’
in terms of its tourism marketing, and that Tourism Fiji’s radars.”
response has been “very superficial”. But he says there is some work to be done. “Local commu-
“It’s huge, the number of people who are going to see a nities could take advantage of this and try to “recreate the
different side of Fiji. Tourism Fiji has sold palm trees and experience” by working closely with the stakeholders who can
sandy beaches forever, that’s all people think of Fiji, they’ve enable this. For example, the stunning waterfalls are not ac-
never seen the rivers, the greenery.” cessible by your average tourist, and there are no roads link-
Philp is a founding member of the Duavata Collective, a ing to the experience as yet. There is also an opportunity for
group of tourism operators united by the belief that tourism the local industry to review their current experience offerings
should enhance cultural heritage and the environment. Other and see how they can tap into some of these opportunities
Duavata members, notably hiking company Talanoa Treks, that Eco-Challenge has presented.”
were instrumental in the smooth running of Eco-Challenge Pridgeon says Tourism Fiji supported a recent marathon
Fiji. at Namosi Eco-Retreat, another Duavata Collective member
“We’re all different organisations, different sizes, we’ve and an immersive, adventure destination. He says if similar
got chocolate factories and farms and agro-tourism business, product is available and ready for international visitors when
white water rafting, it’s basically anyone who believes in the borders reopen, “we will promote it.”
same principles around tourism,” Philp says of the collec- But ultimately, tourism is a numbers game for Fiji. Border
tive. “We’ve all seen how tourism development should not be closures have crippled the sector, and affected some 150,000
done, and how it has benefitted a few and not the communi- people employed in the industry. Fiji’s GDP is projected to de-
ties. The real owners of the traditions and the culture and the cline by more than 20% this year, largely due to the collapse
land and the resources are not the ones that are benefitting. of the country’s biggest income earner. The pressure to return
That’s our shared vision. You know everyone talks about how to business as usual—that is, mass tourism in large hotels—is
Fiji has been so reliant on tourism and how we should be immense.
diversifying but really it is the type of tourism that needs to “In 2020, the greatest adventure travellers we are likely to
change.” see have come via our successful Blue Lanes” said Pridgeon,
In its recent budget submission the Duavata Collective referring to the scheme to encourage yachting tourists to sail
recommended the Environment and Climate Adaption Levy and stay in Fiji during the pandemic.
(ECAL) be pledged directly to environmental protection and More than 90 boats have entered Fiji since that program
conservation, that the government urgently streamline the launched. Tourism Fiji is now focused on ensuring these boats
bureaucratic requirements for SMEs, and that this time is used and their crews, and any others still to arrive, are safe and
to work with development partners to transition the tourism well-informed through the impending cyclone season.
sector to a greener, more sustainable future. “We want to start creating and positioning marketing activ-
Philp says it has been difficult to get engagement from ities that can give confidence that yes, our cyclone season is
policy and decision makers, including Tourism Fiji, on these coming, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave Fiji…we’re
issues, which is why they are going out on their own, to “do focusing a lot of our time and energy into [this] because it is
our own thing.” the obvious one, and you know, the low-hanging fruit for us at
Tourism Fiji did use its social media channels to promote the moment,” Pridgeon says.
Eco-Challenge Fiji when it premiered and its Niche Experi- This material will include information on safe havens for
ences Manager James Pridgeon says part of his role is to shift yachts in the event they can’t get back to the mainland

14 Islands Business, November 2020