Riya Mala 
[Photo: File]
Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka says tourism income in the Northern Division could grow from around $238 million to $1.3 billion over the next 25 years.
Gavoka made the comments while speaking on Tourism Fiji’s annual reports covering 2015 to 2018 in Parliament.
He says the figures are still preliminary but show the long-term economic potential of tourism in the North.
Gavoka says better infrastructure and airline connectivity will be critical to achieving this growth.
“On infrastructure, we have strengthened Labasa Airport. We’re putting in a remote control tower that’s happening soon. And for Savusavu, we have two initiatives right now. One is whether we can extend Savusavu in its current form to take a bigger aircraft. A feasibility study is ongoing right now. Over the years, people have said it can’t be done because of the hills and all that, but there are people who say it can be done.”
He says a feasibility study is underway on whether Savusavu Airport can be extended to accommodate larger aircraft, while the possibility of a new airport is also being considered.
Gavoka says improving connectivity, infrastructure, enterprise development and community-based tourism will create more opportunities for Northern communities.
He says the Government is also supporting MSMEs, with around $8 million allocated towards enterprise development.
Gavoka says the long-term tourism plan could help create more economic opportunities in the North and potentially reverse the migration of people from rural areas to urban centres.
