The ANZ Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards is an opportunity to recognise excellence in Fiji’s tourism.
This year the Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park was nominated under the category of Environmental Sustainability and was awarded bronze.
It was a moment of great pride, especially given the changes of the last 2-3 years.
Board of Trustees chair, Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai, travelled to Nadi to attend the event and receive the award. However, the award does not belong to one person or organisation – it belongs to the 27 villages in Nakorotubu District and local tourism operators Volivoli Beach Resort, Nai’a Cruises, and previously Wananavu Beach Resort who formed a partnership to set up the Park.
It belongs to the management committee and Trust members who work tirelessly behind the scenes to manage the Park, and partners who provide technical support over many years – the Ra Provincial Office, Wildlife Conservation Society, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, BirdLife International and Marine Ecology Consulting.
Sangeeta explains, “Setting up Fiji’s largest tabu area and conservation park is no small feat. It is hard work, and that hard work does not stop. But is made easier by the commitments of many.”
“But moments like this allow us to stop, reflect and celebrate the enormity of this achievement.”
Awareness workshops with fishers on the Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park – 2022