In Nakawaga Village, visitors arriving on cruise ships often make their way to the local waterfall, a stunning natural attraction with tremendous potential. 🌊✨
We visited the community, as part of the Na Vualiku Project’s design, data gathering, and awareness-raising activities to understand how communities can strengthen tourism opportunities and benefit from sustainable local enterprise.
Tourism currently provides occasional income, but with the right support, communities like Nakawaga could develop stronger visitor experiences, improve facilities, and build enterprises that share benefits more widely.
The Na Vualiku Project will soon launch a Pilot Program for MSMEs, women-led enterprises, and community-based tourism organizations. The program is designed to unlock this potential by supporting community businesses, strengthening skills, and linking villages to wider tourism markets.
A beautiful waterfall is only the beginning. The real story is about communities turning opportunity into lasting prosperity.
🌱 Following the World Bank team’s 5th Implementation Support Mission, the Na Vualiku Project is finalising plans for a pilot program to support community-based sustainable tourism ventures, as well as tourism-related MSMEs and women’s cultural enterprises in Vanua Levu.
Launching later this year, the program will provide grants to finance small infrastructure that will enhance community-based tourism and connect MSMEs and women’s cultural enterprises with business development services to help support business growth.
The Na Vualiku Project team and the World Bank, as part of the 5th Implementation Support Mission, met with the Savusavu Tourism Association to discuss project progress.
Updates focused on air transport and town upgrades, including beautification, traffic management, improving pedestrian safety, and protecting the region’s biodiversity — all key to shaping Savusavu’s future as a hub for sustainable tourism.
Suva Fiji October 9, 2025 — With contracts valued at over FJ$22 million already signed and more major procurements in the pipeline, the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu (Na Vualiku Project) is gaining momentum towards building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism economy for Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
The World Bank, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MTCA), has successfully concluded the fifth implementation support mission for the Program. Held from 28 September to 9 October 2025, the mission brought together government ministries, development partners, provincial councils, community leaders, and the private sector to take stock, share insights and confirm next steps and advance Fiji’s tourism transformation in the North.
Over twelve days, the World Bank mission team engaged in site visits, stakeholder consultations, and technical meetings across Nadi, Labasa, Savusavu and Suva.
Discussions focused on critical infrastructure works, sustainable tourism planning, environmental safeguards, and targeted support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women-led entrepreneurs, and community-based tourism organizations. Field inspections at Labasa and Savusavu airports, the Labasa–Savusavu scenic road, and Waisali Forest Reserve allowed the team to witness first-hand the current status and identify priority areas for further investment.
Key program milestones were highlighted during the mission. Work on the Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP) has commenced with a team of technical specialists engaged via a consortium of Hidria and IOS Partners. This Master Plan will deliver a 25-year phased development framework for the Northern Division, alongside detailed 5-year development plans for key tourism areas including Savusavu and surrounding areas, the Natewa Peninsula and Natewa Bay, Labasa, and Taveuni.
In parallel, a pilot community-based tourism grant scheme is set to launch before the end of the year to support small tourism-related infrastructure in communities to help them improve their tourism products and the economic benefits flowing from tourism to local communities.
Infrastructure development remains a cornerstone of the program. Design and supervision contracts for the Labasa and Savusavu airport upgrades have been awarded,
while procurement for a remote tower system and feasibility study of a potential new domestic airport is underway. The Labasa–Savusavu road upgrade has now entered a 12-month design and supervision phase, marking a major step to enhancing visitor access, safety and amenities. Complementary initiatives, including a wastewater and sanitation investment strategy for Savusavu and a feasibility study for solar installations on public buildings, underscore the Project’s commitment to climate resilience and sustainable growth.
Capacity-building and data collection initiatives are also moving forward. The upgraded International Visitor Survey (IVS) is in the field, with initial results expected in early 2026, while a Baseline Survey to establish socio-economic benchmarks for the Program will begin shortly.
Speaking at the conclusion of the mission, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hon. Viliame Gavoka noted: “This mission was about listening, validating, and coordinating with our communities and partners. The work in Vanua Levu must reflect not only the promise of growth, but also the values of inclusion, resilience, and sustainability that define Fiji’s vision for tourism.”
The mission concluded in Suva with wrap-up meetings involving the Ministry of Finance, implementing agencies, and development partners, reaffirming a coordinated pathway forward. With momentum building and major infrastructure investments on the horizon, the Project is accelerating efforts toward delivering lasting economic opportunities, improved connectivity, and enhanced environmental safeguards for Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
🚧 The Na Vualiku Project and the WorldBank team, as part of the 5th Implementation Support Mission, joined the Fiji Roads Authority and WAPCOS to review progress on the Labasa–Savusavu road upgrade and coastal protection works.
This will improve road safety, add scenic stopping points, and make Vanua Levu more accessible for visitors and communities.
The coastal protection measures will also help safeguard the road and nearby villages against climate change impacts such as erosion and flooding.
The Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the World Bank, has allocated $30 million to fund the “Na Vualiku Project.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka, stated in Parliament recently.
He says that this is in line with a core theme of the national budget, the Project places strong emphasis on infrastructure as a driver of sustainable growth.
Gavoka adds the plan to launch a “Na Vualiku” Pilot MSME program, set to offer cost-shared business development services.
It will also provide small grants to community-based tourism groups, and targeted support for women, cultural enterprises, and operators to enhance market readiness and resilience.
The tourism minister says that they are unlocking the Northern Division’s tourism potential—and ensuring that its people participate meaningfully in the industry’s growth.
Investment Fiji is looking beyond traditional markets and tapping into exciting new demand from Asia, North and Central America even South America, says board chairperson Jenny Seeto.
Speaking at the Asia Pacific Hotel Industry Conference & Exhibition (AHICE) Pacific Islands event in Nadi this week, Ms Seeto said Investment Fiji aimed to create an inclusive tourism industry that uplifts communities, protects the environment and leaves a lasting impact.
“We are on a digital transformation trajectory, the National Digital Strategy goals and the landing of the Google Bulikula and Tabua subsea cables are both crucial in positioning Fiji to be a regional digital hub in addition to Fiji being the hub of the Pacific,” Ms Seeto said.
She said Investment Fiji was guided by a 10-year framework designed to revitalise and future-proof our industry, with sustainability, resilience and inclusivity as our foundation pillars.
“Every investment, every project and every policy has to consider our people, our planet and the future of travel.
“We’re especially excited about the Na Vualiku Project in the North, with the support of the World Bank, a major $US200 million (approx $F448m) investment is being channeled into infrastructure development in our Northern region.”
Ms Seeto said that included roads, reliable power, water systems, waste management and better airport access.
“In the context of tourism, Investment Fiji focuses on promoting various types of tourism to attract foreign investment and create opportunities for economic growth which includes sports tourism, medical tourism and adventure tourism.
“The Government is offering attractive incentive tax packages for tourism related industries and other sectors of the economy.”
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated June 28, 2025
President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has expressed his full support and confirmed his willingness to do his part in the implementation of the Vualiku project that will commence soon in Vanua Levu.
The President welcomed a courtesy visit from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Viliame Gavoka, and his delegation, acknowledging the significance of collaborative efforts in advancing sustainable tourism and economic development in the region.
They say their purpose of the visit was to brief the Head of State on the implementation of the World Bank-funded Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu, known as the ‘Na Vualiku’.
The Na Vualiku Project aims to strengthen targeted infrastructure and essential services, enhance coordination and encourage private sector participation in tourism and improve the environmental sustainability of tourism assets.
President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has backed a major World Bank-funded initiative aimed at strengthening sustainable tourism development in Vanua Levu.
The President was briefed on the Na Vualiku Project during a courtesy call from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka at State House yesterday.
The Na Vualiku Project aims to improve infrastructure, boost private sector engagement, and promote environmental sustainability across targeted tourism sites in the Northern Division.
The project aims to strengthen infrastructure and essential services, improve environmental sustainability, and promote private sector engagement in the tourism sector.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation is leading implementation, with support from the Fiji Roads Authority, Fiji Airports Limited, and the Savusavu Town Council.
Key investments include resilient infrastructure, nature-based attractions, and improved waste and sewage systems.
The initiative also seeks to empower Fijian women in the tourism industry.
The President also welcomed the update and reaffirmed his full support for the project.
