The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, through the #NaVualikuProject, is inviting applications for the position of Office Support Assistant / Driver based at the Savusavu Office.
This full-time role will support project delivery across #VanuaLevu and #Taveuni through safe and reliable driving, messenger services, logistics support, and general office assistance.
📍 Duty Station: Level 3, JKS Building, Main St, Savusavu 💼 Position Level: Band C 🕒 Contract: Initial 2 years 🚗 Travel: Within Vanua Levu, including Taveuni
Interested applicants can access the full job description and application details here
How can tourism development protect natural assets, support climate action and create long-term benefits for local communities?
The Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu, also known as the Na Vualiku Project, is supporting a more integrated approach to sustainable tourism development in the country’s northern region.
This World Environment Day, the global theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” closely reflects the direction of the Program’s work across Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
Through consultations and planning discussions, communities and stakeholders have consistently highlighted the importance of a tourism future that protects the environment, maintains cultural authenticity and delivers real benefits for local people. This message is central to the Program’s approach.
Inspired by Nature
Vanua Levu and Taveuni’s tourism potential is closely linked to the natural and cultural assets that define the destination. Forests, rivers, reefs, coastlines, cultural sites, towns and community landscapes all contribute to the visitor experience and the wellbeing of local communities.
Through the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, the Program is supporting long-term destination planning that recognises these assets as the foundation for sustainable tourism growth. The Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment is helping identify environmental and social risks early, so future development can be better informed by climate, community and environmental considerations.
For Climate
Climate action is reflected in the way energy, waste, infrastructure and services are planned and delivered.
The Program is exploring solar energy opportunities for selected public sites in Labasa and Savusavu, including high-use public infrastructure. Renewable energy is a practical example of climate action and can support cleaner energy use, stronger essential services and more resilient public infrastructure over time.
The Program is also supporting improved solid waste management planning for the Northern Division. This work is important for cleaner towns, healthier communities, protected natural assets and destination readiness. In parallel, work on infrastructure, cityscape planning, airport planning, road resilience and sanitation is helping strengthen the systems that sustainable tourism depends on.
For Our Future
Sustainable tourism must create opportunities for people. Through support for micro, small and medium enterprises and community-based tourism, the Program is helping strengthen local participation in tourism development.
This matters because climate resilience is also economic resilience. When communities have stronger local enterprises, better services, improved infrastructure and a healthier environment, they are better positioned to benefit from tourism growth and manage future risks.
On World Environment Day, the Na Vualiku Project recognises that the environment is not separate from development. It is the foundation for long-term tourism growth, community wellbeing and climate resilience.
By linking destination planning, environmental and social assessment, renewable energy, waste management, resilient infrastructure and local enterprise support, the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu is helping support a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism future for Fiji’s northern region.
🌿 How can tourism development support jobs, better services, stronger infrastructure and more resilient local economies?
The Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu, also known as the Na Vualiku Project, is supporting a more integrated approach to sustainable tourism development in the country’s northern region.
📸The Project team welcomed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economic Affairs for a briefing on progress and priorities under the Program.
✅The engagement provided an opportunity to share updates on work being advanced across key areas, including the Integrated Tourism Master Plan, support for micro, small and medium enterprises and community-based tourism, solid waste management, solar feasibility work, cityscape planning, and broader efforts to strengthen destination readiness.
💬Discussions highlighted the importance of coordinated planning, creating a shared vision with all stakeholders, improving air, road and sea access, strengthening supporting infrastructure, and ensuring that local communities and businesses are positioned to participate in and benefit from tourism growth.
🤝Through the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu, partners are working to support tourism development that is inclusive, sustainable and locally grounded, creating opportunities for people, strengthening communities and contributing to long-term economic growth in Fiji’s North. 🌿
2026 is set to see a major leap forward with several key activities under the Na Vualiku Project advancing, with upcoming milestones in MSME and Community-Based Tourism support program, solar powerfor public buildings, solid waste management, airport planning, and tourism infrastructure design across Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
Initiatives such as Drawa’s community-led eco-retreat show the potential of Vanua Levu’s untapped #tourism opportunities, where culture, conservation, and local livelihoods can grow together.
The Na Vualiku Project is working to strengthen sustainable tourism models across Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Our focus is protecting the environment, empowering communities, and building long-term resilience through sustainable tourism development.
Congratulations to the people of Drawa on this important milestone, with the eco-retreat officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. V@iliame Gavoka.
The World Bank’s 6th Implementation Support Mission (ISM) for the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu (Na Vualiku Project), currently underway, brought together local leadership and stakeholders today to take stock of progress and keep delivery moving forward across key investments.
There was clear energy in the room, Labasa Town Council Chair Paul Jaduram, MT Association President Amelia Milia Simmons, business leaders, the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU), and the World Bank team coming together around a shared commitment to Labasa’s development.
What stood out was the pace of progress and how different pieces are starting to come together:
• Labasa Airport upgrades now completed — strengthening runway reliability and supporting more consistent operations • Cityscape improvements — moving forward to enhance public spaces and improve how people experience the town • Solar for municipal buildings — exploring practical solutions to strengthen energy resilience and reduce costs • Aviation feasibility study — looking ahead at future connectivity options for Vanua Levu
• MSME support — continuing to empower local businesses, with a strong focus on expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs, women, and youth • Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP) — guiding long-term, coordinated planning for sustainable tourism development
What stood out most was the strong alignment and support across local stakeholders, reinforcing a shared vision for Labasa and the wider Vanua Levu.
Implementation Support Missions help sustain this momentum, ensuring that progress continues to move forward and deliver real, lasting benefits for communities.
Driving Delivery Forward: 4th Na Vualiku Project Steering Committee Meeting
The Na Vualiku Project convened its 4th Steering Committee Meeting yesterday at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, bringing together members representing key government agencies and partners to review progress, address implementation challenges, and align on priorities for the next phase of delivery.
Work on the ground is picking up pace.
Since the previous meeting, the Project has continued to scale-up across multiple fronts, supported by strengthened capacity within the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU) and an expanding portfolio of activities.
Across the Project:
42 contracts have been signed to date, valued at USD 18.8 million
10 contracts are currently under implementation, valued at USD 14.1 million
These investments span infrastructure, planning, and community-focused initiatives, reflecting a coordinated approach to unlocking tourism potential while ensuring sustainability and resilience.
What this means for you:
More projects are moving from planning into implementation and works. This means services and improvements you can start to see soon and benefit from.
Progress Across Priority Areas – Here’s what is moving forward and why it matters:
The meeting highlighted steady progress across key sectors that underpin tourism development in Vanua Levu and Taveuni:
Aviation and Connectivity
Runway strengthening works at Labasa Airport have been completed, improving operational reliability.
Photos: Operational Labasa Airport
More planning is underway for future improvements, including feasibility studies for future aviation needs, such as a potential new airport and runway extensions to inform decisions, and a remote tower Automatic Flight Information Service (AFIS), are advancing, with key milestones expected in April–June 2026.
What this means for you:
Safer, more reliable flights, better connections, and easier travel for families, businesses, and visitors.
Resilient Infrastructure
The Labasa–Savusavu Cross-Island Road and scenic lookouts activity is scheduled for implementation in FY 2026–2027. Once underway, these upgrades will improve safety, enhance climate resilience, and create new opportunities for communities along the corridor, with four scenic lookouts in the pipeline.
Photos: The Labasa–Savusavu Cross-Island Road
Essential Services and Environmental Management
Work is underway to improve how waste is managed and how basic services are delivered.
Solid waste management planning is progressing, with stakeholder engagement at its forefront, focusing on both immediate improvements and long-term infrastructure solutions, with initial upgrade works expected to commence in late 2026. Sanitation planning and solar feasibility studies for public buildings in Labasa and Savusavu are also advancing, with feasibility work targeted for completion by mid-2026, supporting more efficient and sustainable service delivery.
What this means for you:
Cleaner communities, better public services, and lower energy costs over time.
Strategic Planning for Long-Term Growth
A long-term tourism plan is being developed to guide growth over the next 25 years, with completion expected by January 2027.
An environmental and social assessment will be finalised by April 2026 to make sure development protects land, culture, and communities.
What this means for you:
Tourism growth will be properly planned, avoid harm to the environment and communities, and bring real benefits to local people.
Expanding Opportunities for Communities
Ensuring that tourism growth translates into tangible local benefits remains central to the Project.
The MSME and Community-Based Tourism (CBT) support programs have generated strong interest, with over 300 applications received for grants and capacity building initiatives. These programs are designed to strengthen local enterprises, including women-led businesses, and enable greater participation in the tourism economy.
Next steps include finalising beneficiary selection, mobilising delivery partners, and commencing rollout in May–June 2026.
Strengthening the Evidence Base
Work is underway to strengthen the data and evidence that underpin Project delivery. The Baseline Study will establish key indicators across infrastructure, services, employment, and MSMEs, with completion expected by June 2026, while improvements to the International Visitor Survey will enhance insights into visitor expenditure, experience, and behaviour.
These efforts will support more informed decision-making and ensure that progress can be measured over time.
Coordinated Delivery and Key Challenges
The Steering Committee continues to play a critical role in ensuring alignment, oversight, and timely decision-making across agencies and partners.
Looking Ahead
Work will continue to accelerate over the coming months, with more projects moving into delivery.
The focus remains simple:better infrastructure, stronger local businesses, and protecting what makes Vanua Levu and Taveuni special.
Explore the latest updates from the Na Vualiku Project, highlighting progress in air connectivity, infrastructure, and community-focused tourism development across Vanua Levu & Taveuni.
Strengthening partnerships with community leadership is essential to ensuring tourism development reflects local priorities.
The Na Vualiku Project Local Project Coordinator, Mr. Sara Bulutani, recently engaged with members of the Tikina Nasavusavu Council to discuss key initiatives under the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu and to hear directly from community leaders on priorities shaping the future of tourism in the Northern Division.
Discussions included the MSME & Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Capacity Building and Grant Program, the application deadline for which closed on 13 February 2026.
The program, designed to strengthen tourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and community-based tourism operators across Vanua Levu and Taveuni, will help with improving business skills, strengthening services, and helping local operators better connect to the tourism market. This in turn will support local enterprise development, create more jobs, and encourage greater participation of communities in the tourism economy.
Several communities had submitted applications and welcomed the opportunity to receive an update on the program and what to expect next.
The engagement also opened discussion on waste management solutions, an important part of ensuring tourism growth is managed sustainably. Council members were invited to help identify suitable land that could be assessed as part of upcoming waste management feasibility studies, helping ensure solutions are practical, community-supported, and aligned with local priorities.
These engagements are essential to ensuring that tourism planning and investments under the Na Vualiku Project are grounded in community voices and local leadership.
Private sector investment is key to unlocking the full tourism potential of Vanua Levu.
Business leaders, entrepreneurs, and local officials met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hon. Viliame Gavoka, together with Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region, Gallina A. Vincelette, World Bank Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services, and Sarvesh Suri, IFC Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific over a Business Leaders lunch at Nawi Island to discuss how sustainable tourism can drive jobs, investment, and long-term growth in the Northern Division.
Through our 10-year, US$200M Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu #NaVualikuProject will strengthen infrastructure and create an enabling environment that helps crowd in private investment, grow businesses, and expand economic opportunities across Vanua Levu.
