A $500 million hotel project was officially launched along the Coral Coast yesterday by Guandong Silk Road Ark Investment Limited.
Spread over 165 acres with 370 rooms, the property will be managed by the Wyndham Group as the Wyndham Silkroad Ark Hotel.
“The project has integrated the connotation of China Silkroad Culture with ethic customs, performances, craft works, cuisines, cultural experiences, recreation, shopping and other functions while fully respecting the cultural characteristics of Fiji,” said general manager, Li Haolin.
Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister, Faiyaz Koya said economic relations between Fiji and China has strengthened over the years, with imports from China increasing from $210 million in 2010 to $623 million in 2014.
Located near Komave village, the hotel is the project in partnership with China’s Guandong Province, and the property’s Chinese traits are expected to also cater to the growing rate of Chinese tourists, which has increased tenfold over the past seven years.
“That is, from 4,087 in 2009 to 40,174 visitors in 2015,” Mr Koya said.
“The first 7 months of 2016, visitor arrivals from China has exceeded the 2015 numbers by 30 percent. And we look at this number to increase further, especially with the large scale Chinese investors in the tourism sector in Fiji.”
Chinese projects made up 41 percent of the total investment projects registered in Fiji last year, with the first six months of this year revealing a 45 percent stake by investors from China.