Tourism week
Fiji Times, Fiji
FIJI’S tourism sector greatly values and takes pride in what the local tradition and culture has to offer.
Interim Minister for Women, Social Welfare and Housing Adi Laufitu Malani made the comment while opening the World Tourism Week in Suva on Tuesday.
“We want to pledge our full support towards the development of authentic local arts and craft in Fiji,” she said.
Adi Laufitu said the potential of handicraft was big and could provide a great avenue for women, the poor and indigenous communities to earn income from tourism.
“Our valuable statistics show that 75 per cent of our overseas visitors purchased handicrafts when visiting Fiji and that from the Top 10 shopping category in the 1st quarter of 2007 local handicraft recorded the third highest income of $30.60m.”
Adi Laufitu said the interim Government was negotiating with the United States government on how Fiji could utilise the US Generalised System of Preference (GSP) to export handicraft products to the US market.