With Fiji, Vanuatu in the bag, Samoa’s next
By Dionisia Tabureguci
Hong Kong hotelier, Richard Chiu, is looking at opportunities to build more hotels in the South Pacific region as growth prospects for this industry has been described as promising, particularly in Fiji and Samoa.
Chiu, who heads the Warwick group of hotels internationally, was in Fiji last month to announce a F$12 million 100-room expansion project for Naviti Resort along the Coral Coast.
“I think people are now realising that the Pacific is the ‘Last Frontier’ and I mean that in a positive way. They are starting to realise that if you are in search of a clean environment, natural beauty, you have to come here,” he said.
Chiu’s experience in the region began in 1979 when he bought Hyatt Fiji (now Warwick) which was then losing business. After major renovation works, that hotel was renamed ‘The Warwick Fiji’ and gradually recovered on the back of a strong industry growth in the decade that followed.
It is now a sprawling 250-room family type hotel with four conference rooms. The success of Warwick led to the purchase of the 140-room Naviti Resort in 1988.
Incidentally, Warwick Fiji was one of the first in the Warwick group, which had a modest beginning in Bali in the late 1970s, as Chiu recalled, “we did not have our own management capacity then and had to hire.”
This chain now has 36 hotels worldwide and is represented in France, Africa, the Americas and in the Asia/Pacific region.
Last frontier: “In those days (late 70s, early 80s), the Pacific was very much the backwaters of tourism as South East Asia was much more the prominent area. Now, things have changed and the Pacific is becoming much more important,” said Chiu, of his observations after 25 years in the global tourism industry.
“When I first came to Fiji (late 70s), I was so impressed by the natural beauty, unpolluted waters and the friendliness of the people that I thought this must be one of the future destinations for world tourism. My plan was to be here when things take off and be part of that development. It has taken a bit longer for that to be realised as we did not anticipate the coups. But things have picked up and growth is finally happening,” he added.
Now, Chiu is looking at opportunities in the region in much the same way he saw Fiji over twenty years ago. Last year, the group added to its growing list of Pacific exposure Vanuatu’s Le Lagon Resort, a 140-room family hotel, situated along the beachfront of Erakor lagoon in the capital Port Vila.
“Le Lagon is doing very well. We are planning to renovate all the rooms, put in another food and beverage facility and build another swimming pool so there are major undertakings planned for that one,” said Chiu.
While announcing the Naviti expansion, Chiu also revealed yet another major investment with details still under wraps but which would involve building a 200-room hotel on its property next to Naviti. “It is still being studied now but it has a good chance of going ahead,” he said.
The next project, scheduled to begin some three months from now after formal agreements are signed, is a four and half star hotel in Samoa. This is a response to a healthy economic growth expected for Samoa as well as a growing tourism industry. Last year, Samoa neared the 100,000 mark in visitor arrivals. This year, if all goes well, the figure should break the 100,000 mark for the first time.
“We would also like to investigate investment opportunities in Tonga, Cook Islands and even as far as the Solomon Islands so, yes, we are very Pacific,” said Chiu.
On the political ripples in the region, the hotelier is placing his bets on the wave of democracy finding its place on the shores of most countries. “I think overall, governments across the Pacific are becoming more mature. I see democratic tendencies taking root and stability is naturally going to follow. Fiji has been a very good example, with quick recovery in a very mature way. So I am confident in Fiji in particular, and in the Pacific.”
“We look at our investments as long term investments so it is very important that we are able to see where we are in five, ten years from now. It is not our ambition to be everywhere but it is our ambition to be a significant and important player in our markets. So in five, ten years from now, we would like to be a major player in the Fiji tourism market and in the Pacific.”
The Chius left with the Qarases right.
---
This article appeared as: "HONG KONG HOTELIER EYES 'LAST FRONTIER'" in the Islands Business Magazine, September 2004; p:37.
By Dionisia Tabureguci
Hong Kong hotelier, Richard Chiu, is looking at opportunities to build more hotels in the South Pacific region as growth prospects for this industry has been described as promising, particularly in Fiji and Samoa.
Chiu, who heads the Warwick group of hotels internationally, was in Fiji last month to announce a F$12 million 100-room expansion project for Naviti Resort along the Coral Coast.
“I think people are now realising that the Pacific is the ‘Last Frontier’ and I mean that in a positive way. They are starting to realise that if you are in search of a clean environment, natural beauty, you have to come here,” he said.
Chiu’s experience in the region began in 1979 when he bought Hyatt Fiji (now Warwick) which was then losing business. After major renovation works, that hotel was renamed ‘The Warwick Fiji’ and gradually recovered on the back of a strong industry growth in the decade that followed.
It is now a sprawling 250-room family type hotel with four conference rooms. The success of Warwick led to the purchase of the 140-room Naviti Resort in 1988.
Incidentally, Warwick Fiji was one of the first in the Warwick group, which had a modest beginning in Bali in the late 1970s, as Chiu recalled, “we did not have our own management capacity then and had to hire.”
This chain now has 36 hotels worldwide and is represented in France, Africa, the Americas and in the Asia/Pacific region.
Last frontier: “In those days (late 70s, early 80s), the Pacific was very much the backwaters of tourism as South East Asia was much more the prominent area. Now, things have changed and the Pacific is becoming much more important,” said Chiu, of his observations after 25 years in the global tourism industry.
“When I first came to Fiji (late 70s), I was so impressed by the natural beauty, unpolluted waters and the friendliness of the people that I thought this must be one of the future destinations for world tourism. My plan was to be here when things take off and be part of that development. It has taken a bit longer for that to be realised as we did not anticipate the coups. But things have picked up and growth is finally happening,” he added.
Now, Chiu is looking at opportunities in the region in much the same way he saw Fiji over twenty years ago. Last year, the group added to its growing list of Pacific exposure Vanuatu’s Le Lagon Resort, a 140-room family hotel, situated along the beachfront of Erakor lagoon in the capital Port Vila.
“Le Lagon is doing very well. We are planning to renovate all the rooms, put in another food and beverage facility and build another swimming pool so there are major undertakings planned for that one,” said Chiu.
While announcing the Naviti expansion, Chiu also revealed yet another major investment with details still under wraps but which would involve building a 200-room hotel on its property next to Naviti. “It is still being studied now but it has a good chance of going ahead,” he said.
The next project, scheduled to begin some three months from now after formal agreements are signed, is a four and half star hotel in Samoa. This is a response to a healthy economic growth expected for Samoa as well as a growing tourism industry. Last year, Samoa neared the 100,000 mark in visitor arrivals. This year, if all goes well, the figure should break the 100,000 mark for the first time.
“We would also like to investigate investment opportunities in Tonga, Cook Islands and even as far as the Solomon Islands so, yes, we are very Pacific,” said Chiu.
On the political ripples in the region, the hotelier is placing his bets on the wave of democracy finding its place on the shores of most countries. “I think overall, governments across the Pacific are becoming more mature. I see democratic tendencies taking root and stability is naturally going to follow. Fiji has been a very good example, with quick recovery in a very mature way. So I am confident in Fiji in particular, and in the Pacific.”
“We look at our investments as long term investments so it is very important that we are able to see where we are in five, ten years from now. It is not our ambition to be everywhere but it is our ambition to be a significant and important player in our markets. So in five, ten years from now, we would like to be a major player in the Fiji tourism market and in the Pacific.”
The Chius left with the Qarases right.
---
This article appeared as: "HONG KONG HOTELIER EYES 'LAST FRONTIER'" in the Islands Business Magazine, September 2004; p:37.
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