Some of the speaker line-up for the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Forum 2014
By JYOTI PRATIBHA
The Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Forum to be held this Saturday will see rigorous discussions about the future of Nadi as a City.
While tourism is the core of economic activity for the Jetset town, the sports and recreational front had not been fully explored previously. The chamber is well on the way to change this.
Board member and member in-charge of planning of the infrastructure and roads in Nadi, John Grey, said at the end of the forum, the chamber hopes to sign a memorandum of association with the Government. This will be based on the vision the Chamber has for Nadi.
Tourism and sports
Mr Grey said Fiji was a seasonal tourism destination and tourists came in a seven or eight month period.
The rest of the months are generally seen as slower periods for the tourism industry. He said to boost business and economic activities in these slow periods, developing international sporting facilities would be considered.
“This forum will try to focus on aspects of sports as a major player in the development of the new city,” he said.
“We consider Nadi as the most fortunate town in the country – we have the international airport here and we have got international standard hotels on Denarau Island.
“Because we are seasonal tourism destination, we want to fill in the gap and that could be done with sports and recreation facilities.”
The forum
With an impressive line-up of speakers, the Nadi Business Forum starts on Saturday afternoon at the Fiji National University campus in Namaka.
Mr Grey said: “The forum is basically a series of consultative meetings we intend to have with people of Nadi, landowners, businesses, Government and all embassies.
“This is to get their views and ideas and so forth, on how they want to see Nadi develop as a city.”
The forum will be opened by Minister for Youth and Sports Commander Viliame Naupoto.
Speakers include Fiji National University Vice Chancellor, Dr Ganesh Chand, who will be speaking on the university’s role in tourism, hospitality and sports in Nadi.
Chairman of the Fiji Sports Commission, Peter Mazey, will be speaking on Sporting Opportunities and Growth.
A special presentation will also be done on roads update in Nadi and the West.