The ‘Love Our Locals’ campaign has benefited many hotels that are currently open for business, however, the occupancy rate continues to fluctuate.

The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association says some of its members have enjoyed 100 percent occupancy rate on long weekends with all available rooms booked out.

FHTA Chief Executive Fantasha Lockington says hotels have had to call in most of its employees as Fijians continue to take advantage of the rates offered under the “Love Our Local” initiative.

“From the coral coast, many of those large properties have reported that they enjoyed about 70 to 100 percent occupancy. Not every single hotel provided the full rooms to make them all available. Those that did say they enjoyed full occupancy.”

Lockington says after long weekends, most hotels have had to send staff home as occupancy rate drops drastically during the week.

“You can see you have suddenly that everybody is working and then you don’t have anybody coming to stay so you have to let your people go home.”

The FHTA CEO says they have noticed that those making use of the local rates often change their resort choice.