Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, 24 April 2025 – Let me start with something we all know in our bones: tourism is Fiji’s heartbeat.
It’s in our “Bula” smile, our warm welcomes, our laughter echoing down resort hallways and across white sandy beaches.
But while our natural beauty and heartfelt hospitality are unmatched, the truth is that what really defines our visitor experience is our people.
And right now, we’re feeling the pressure.
Across our industry, we are seeing a growing trend—one that many of you have probably already experienced firsthand.
Trained, experienced tourism workers are seeking greener pastures overseas. From New Zealand to Australia and even to other Pacific destinations like the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, the demand for skilled hospitality professionals is soaring.
Unfortunately, Fiji has become our neighbours’ favourite recruiting ground.
We can’t blame them.
Our people are known for their world-class service and adaptability, so it’s no surprise that they’re being headhunted.
But the result for us here at home is a widening gap.
As seasoned staff leave, we are often left shorthanded, and our new recruits, while enthusiastic, may not yet have the experience or training needed to carry the mantle of Fiji’s globally admired tourism standard.
That’s where we, at the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA), have chosen to step up and lead from the front.
One of the cornerstones of FHTA’s mission has always been supporting our members and strengthening our tourism workforce.
In a sector as dynamic and fast-paced as ours, staying still is simply not an option.
Skills must be refreshed, service expectations evolve, and teams need to grow—not just in numbers, but in capability and confidence.
That’s why we’ve launched a new round of training programs specifically designed to elevate the standards across the board, ensuring that everyone, from new recruits to seasoned veterans, gets the opportunity to level up.
We’re offering two focused, one-day training workshops that we believe will make a meaningful impact where it counts the most: at the very front lines of our industry.
Let me walk you through them.
Enhancing Customer Service in Tourism
We’ve all had that one magical guest interaction that sticks with us—the one where a team member went above and beyond, where empathy and efficiency met in perfect harmony, and where a guest left feeling more than just satisfied—they felt valued. That’s the kind of moment that defines Fiji’s reputation. But those moments don’t happen by accident. They happen when teams are equipped with not just the right skills, but also the right mindset.
The “Enhancing Customer Service in Tourism” workshop dives deep into the art and science of great service. It goes beyond the basics. We’ll be tackling real-world scenarios, exploring proactive service techniques, and discussing how to handle unexpected or challenging situations with grace and professionalism. Most importantly, we’ll be looking at how to ensure every interaction leaves a lasting impression—because that’s the difference between a guest and a lifelong ambassador for Fiji.
Respectful Workplaces
Tourism doesn’t just happen in brochures or travel ads. It happens in our workplaces, among our teams. And the quality of those workplaces—how safe, inclusive, and respectful they are—directly affects the kind of service we deliver.
That’s why our second workshop, “Respectful Workplaces,” is so timely and essential. We’ll be focusing on creating environments where every team member feels valued and protected. Participants will learn to recognise red flags, prevent and address workplace harassment, and build a culture rooted in respect and accountability.
This isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about protecting our people and our brands.
Because happy, safe employees provide better service, and that ripples out to every guest experience.
We’ll be delivering these workshops in both Suva and Nadi to make them as accessible as possible for participants across the tourism industry.
In Suva, the Respectful Workplaces training will take place first on Friday, 2 May, followed by the Enhancing Customer Service in Tourism session on Monday, 5 May.
Both workshops will be hosted at the FHTA Boardroom, offering a central and familiar location for attendees based in the capital.
The Nadi workshops will follow shortly after, starting with Enhancing Customer Service in Tourism on Thursday, 8 May, and concluding with Respectful Workplaces on Friday, 9 May.
These sessions will be held at the Tanoa Skylodge, providing a convenient venue for industry professionals based in the West. We encourage early registration as spaces are limited and demand is expected to be high.
Each session will run for a full day and includes not just expert-led training, but refreshments, training materials, and a certificate of participation. Most importantly, these sessions are built to be interactive and hands-on, focusing on real issues faced in our hotels, resorts, tour operations, and other tourism businesses.
For FHTA members, the fee is $175 per participant. For non-members, it’s $350.
We’ve worked hard to keep these prices as accessible as possible while ensuring the quality of the sessions remains high.
To be clear: this training push isn’t just a reaction to staff shortages. It’s a strategic investment in our future.
Because the truth is, we cannot wait for someone else to solve the staffing issue for us. We must be proactive. We must be the ones lifting our own standards, creating opportunities for growth, and developing a pipeline of skilled, passionate professionals who want to stay in Fiji and help our industry thrive.
Upskilling our people is about ensuring that our famous “Bula” smile remains not just wide and welcoming, but also genuine and grounded in professional pride.
It’s about creating an industry where people feel confident, valued, and capable.
Where visitors leave with stories of kindness and excellence. Where our teams aren’t just surviving under pressure, but thriving with purpose.
And it’s also about showing our younger generation—the ones just entering the workforce—that tourism can be a rewarding, lifelong career with room to grow.
Depending on experience and skill levels, front liners, laundry attendants, maintenance, kitchen, and back office staff are earning between $6 to $25 an hour in career pathways they’re happy to be in.
Tourism in Fiji is more than a job sector. It’s a community. It’s a movement. And it’s up to all of us—whether we’re managing a resort, running a dive tour, or greeting guests at the airport—to make sure that we’re constantly moving forward.
FHTA is here to support you in that journey. But we can’t do it alone. We need you—our industry colleagues, our business leaders, our frontline teams—to be part of this effort.
If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to register your team members for these upcoming workshops. Not just because it’s good training, but because it’s the required step in the right direction.
Let’s keep building a tourism industry that is not just globally competitive, but also deeply Fijian in its warmth, professionalism, and pride.
Let’s keep raising the bar.
Let’s do it—together.
For registration details, please contact the FHTA Secretariat at info@fhta.com.fj.
Spaces are limited and early booking is advised.
Fantasha Lockington – CEO, FHTA (Published in the Fiji Times on 24 April 2025)
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