The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently released its economic outlook, emphasising the need for the Fijian government to take action to maintain the growth of the tourism industry and keep hotel pricing competitive. The ADB predicts that the limited availability of tourist accommodation may hinder sustainable economic growth in the coming years.
Currently, there are 13,000 hotel rooms available from 421 licensed accommodation providers, but the increasing number of unlicensed short-term accommodation providers on platforms like AirBnb is also a concern. To address these issues, the ADB has proposed three ways in which the government can help: easing impediments to domestic and foreign tourism investment, improving tourist infrastructure, particularly in outer islands, and exploring alternative forms of tourism.
The ADB suggests that Fiji should act quickly to attract more investment in tourism, as potential investors may view the government’s complex foreign investment…