"It is Government's aim to reduce poverty amongst the people of Fiji, and one way the people of Lau could contribute, is for the villagers to work together with the Government and venture out into tourism".
These are sentiments made by Attorney General Aiyaz Saiyad Khaiyum at the Lau Tourism Workshop in Suva earlier this week.
Sayed Khaiyum told them that the islands had a lot to offer in terms of white sandy beaches, surf sites in Matuku, especially the handicrafts that the people of Lau are known for.
He added that most tourists that visit Fiji nowadays prefer to come in contact with rural communities, and Lau is known for being good entertainers and craftsmen.
Though the people of Lau have been selling their copra to the mainland, Sayed-Khaiyum said they should try out other avenues of earning extra income, with tourism being another option.
Sayed-Khaiyum also stressed to the participants that it is also Government's aim in trying to keep the tourist dollar within the local community and setting up a tourist backpacker’s villa on an island in Lau will get the tourist in and they will spend their money directly on the villagers, resulting in the money being recycled in the country.
Story by: Selina Navuso
