Fiji Essays and Term Papers
Fiji is made up of over 300 islands, which make up 0.018 million sq.km. of land.
Fiji's waters embody a variety of marine habitats, including coral reefs,
lagoons, mangrove forests, seaweed communities, seagrass beds, sand and mudflats
and estuaries. Some may find it difficult to characterize Fiji's coral reefs
because of the scattered and limited scientific data available and the lack of
technical in-country expertise in marine biodiversity. However, scientists have
acknowledged Fiji's coral reefs as being of high ecological significance from a
biodiversity standpoint.
The average life expectancy of 72 years in Fiji is high when related with that
of large developing economies such as Thailand, where the average life
expectancy is 69 years. With a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US
$2,637, Fiji is in the top third of the World Bank’s list of lower-middle-income
countries. Fiji’s per capita GDP is in the same type as those of Latvia, Peru,
Costa Rica and Lebanon.
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Fiji's marine resources are meaningful to its people not only from a cultural
viewpoint, but also as a source of food, minerals, pharmaceuticals, construction
material and extensive class of useful products, as well as livelihood and a
source of income. Marine resources have been depleted due to survival, artisanal
and commercial fishing pressures related to increase in fishing communities.
Examples comprises of bêche-de-mer, trochus, giant clams, coral, shells and live
fish. Locally giant clams and coconut crabs have become extinguished in the
country because of overharvesting. Previously permitted commercial harvesting of
turtles has effected in a frightful reduction in the population of the once
plentiful green and hawksbill populations.
Fiji’s tourism has grown over the last decade to turn into a major root of
income, exceeding agriculture as a source of foreign exchange earnings.
Estimated tourist spending of F$479.1 million in 1997 would make tourism the
largest industry. However, since a large portion of tourist spending flows out
of the economy as payments for imports, the net economic impact of tourism is
lesser than that indicated by tourist spending numbers. Still, tourism is a
important source of jobs and foreign exchange and is a means of entrance to the
rest of the world. In 1991-97, total annual tourist count increased 38.6 percent
from 259,350 to 359,441, with an average annual gain of 5.6 percent. During that
time, total arrivals to Fiji dropped only once in 1995 by 0.1 percent, following
the decade’s biggest increase of 10.9 percent the year before.
Fiji’s large unspoiled land area, small population and relative closeness to
large markets are favorable characteristics for blossoming tourism. But
tourism’s preference and that of agriculture are not mutually exclusive. Rather,
they are complementary since agricultural operations such as botanical gardens
and exotic crop plantations can be tourist attractions, and an environmentally
safe agriculture can be faultfinding to a destination’s appeal. People in Fiji
who are potentially strong in both agriculture and tourism will benefit much
more in the long run from developing both.
Fiji Essays and
Term Papers
All marks are that Fiji’s tourism will increase. How much and how fast it will
grow depends on many circumstances, both internal and external. Australia and
New Zealand have so far been Fiji’s dominant markets, supplying over 40 percent
of tourists as recently as 2001. Expanding those markets should be somewhat easy
because of their proximity and close economic ties to Fiji. As the Asian
economies recover from their current downturns and others such as North America
continue to grow, the demand for travel to tropical markets should upsurge. This
holds true for Asia-Pacific travelers not to only Fiji, but also to other island
targets such as Guam and Hawaii. Fiji has a improved combination of resources
and infrastructure than some of its neighbors, which makes it a more fascinating
tourist destination. The question of how much tourism is optimal and what other
industries can benefit from tourism is yet to be retorted.
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Fiji’s somewhat large landmass and numerous potential resort locations make it
likely to advance competing industries without grim issues of encroachment.
Development of multiple industries in turn creates work for the largest
conceivable proportion of the labor force. Fiji has fairly good physical
facilities that can easily be advanced and expanded. By unveiling the Fiji
Tourism Development Plan, both the industry and the government have shown their
eagerness for developing tourism. Fiji’s promise as a destination and what it
will take to reach that potential can now be recognized. Fiji can, however,
reach its optimal tourist level sooner if it puts in place both the
institutional and physical infrastructures to promote the development of a world
class destination. The government not only needs to encourage tourism, but make
investing in tourism facilities more attractive. Fiji has to compete for capital
in a highly competitive global market. The market for capital is now
degenerating rapidly since the Asian financial crisis has turned economies with
capital surplus to economies with severe capital deficiencies.
More than 75 percent of all Fiji households take on in some way in crop
production, livestock, forestry or fishing. Despite its significance to the
Fijian economy, agriculture is declining as a share of total income primarily
because of low productivity. Since the labor share of agriculture has remained
high, chiefly in rural areas where no other alternatives for work exist, income
from agriculture has fallen in relation to other sectors. The continuing drop in
incomes has discouraged investment in farming, which in turn has led to lower
productiveness. In an effort to help agriculture preserve its income level and
thereby make it an engaging occupation, the government has strived for price
supports, protective trade policies and subsidies, all with limited results.
Raising productivity and restoring the opportunity to earn competitive income in
agriculture will demand a thorough assessment of the sector’s place in the
economy and its contribution to Fiji’s lifestyle and social and political
balance. Since Fiji already has the land, labor and markets, a highly productive
and effective agriculture sector, particularly in sugar, seems to be justified.
In addition to sugar, other opportunities for agricultural growth exist in
irrigated rice, dairy, beef and poultry products, high-value fruits and
vegetables such as ginger, pineapple, taro, kava and squash for export crops.
Fiji Essays and
Term Papers
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