FHTA 16 July 2020 – The Fiji Hotel & Tourism Association (FHTA) is optimistic that the 2020-2021 budget address will incorporate pragmatic approaches to assisting the industry to recover from the impact of the tourism and associated economic slump caused by COVID-19.
We hope government gives due consideration to our submissions on behalf of tourism operators for targeted relief from import and excise duties and tax structures on top-line revenue. These types of measures will go a long way to reducing overhead costs and enable better packaging options to offer real value for money that will in turn make Fiji more attractive when the borders reopen. In the meantime, it will present better value options for our locals who are participating in our “Love our Locals” campaigns.
We acknowledge and appreciate Government’s key role in assisting the tourism industry to make recovery as quick as possible. Business recovery for tourism delivers socio-economic benefits, we make more jobs available and tourism’s multiplier effects can benefit communities throughout Fiji. We look forward to cooperating with Government and our national carrier, Fiji Airways, to return tourism to its rightful place as the key driver of economic growth in Fiji.
We believe that there are unique opportunities to stimulate the economy by introducing policies that provide stimulus and accelerate growth by incentivising job retention, sustaining SME’s and protecting vulnerable groups, and will promote more investment in the tourism industry and encourage existing ones to grow and develop further.
We accept that the current situation is difficult for all concerned and that the faster we get back to bringing tourism businesses back on line, the faster we work on recovery and provide hope for the tens of thousands of tourism workers who are now struggling.
Any efforts that the budget addresses that directly contributes to the ease of doing business, the cost of doing business, that incentivizes growth, renovation and development would be welcomed.
