Smaller hotels such as Aquarius On The Beach, at Wailoaloa Beach in Nadi, are excited about the recent Tourism Fiji announcement that they are planning for reopening of Fiji’s borders to tourists on 1st December this year.
Aquarius Managing Director, Dale Hermanson says as one of the few smaller hotels that have remained open throughout the COVID crisis, this reopening will hopefully mean a gradual return of jobs, income and normality.
Hermanson says once the borders reopen, they hope to bring back all of their staff.
He says they have remained open since March 2020 with a few loyal, hard-working staff, but hope to return to full strength once they see bookings pick up again.
The staff of Aquarius On The Beach are also excited about the prospect of hosting overseas guests again.
Food and Beverage Manager for Aquarius, Vilimoni Namuatiqe says that’s why they are in this business and they enjoy bringing smiles to the overseas guests and teaching them a bit of our way of life here.
Although the hotel only has 17 rooms, smaller hotels like Aquarius On The Beach are an important attraction for budget-minded guests who want a more boutique hotel experience.
The hotel was the winner of a 2021 TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award as well as the winner of the 2018 Fiji Excellence in Tourism Award in the Budget Category. Hermanson says as a locally owned business, the hotel reinvests nearly all of its income locally, playing an important part in Fiji’s diverse tourism industry.
The staff of Aquarius On The Beach know that they will have to sharpen their skills once again to handle a larger number of guests.
Namuatiqe says they will be ready and are really excited.
