Challenges and Issues for Tourism in the South Pacific Island States: The Case of the Fiji Islands

Abstract

The paper identifies and analyses challenges and issues facing the tourism industry in the most developed South Pacific island state, the Fiji Islands. Many of the challenges identified can be attributed to the interplay among historical factors and events, and the vested interests associated with them. The colonization of Fiji, the historical role of foreign capital in its growth and development, the conflicting socio-economic and political demands of the two major ethnic groups (the indigenous Fijians and immigrant Indo-Fijians), the issue of property rights, and more recently the coups of 1987 and 2000 and the resultant political instability are discussed in relation to the growth and development of the tourism industry. The author also discusses the impact of the coups on the tourism industry and the role of private–public partnerships in the industry's recovery following the coups.