Tourist cruise ship operator South Sea Cruises Group (SSCG) is planning to diversify into accommodation on an island property it owns in the Mamanuca Islands group. SSCG Chief Executive Officer Brad Rutherford revealed these plans during the AHICE Fiji Investment in Tourism Summit in Nadi last week.
“We have a lot of portfolio products across South Sea Cruises,” Rutherford said. “We are looking at diversifying into accommodation. A lot of development you see around is on the mainland. We are very island-focused, so we have a big goal of growing some inventory on the island as well in the next few years.”
Rutherford expressed optimism about Fiji’s trajectory. “We are very positive in terms of where Fiji is going. We have millions of dollars in the investment pipeline confirmed, and we have a lot more not yet confirmed but will talk about that in the coming months. We are a locally owned company—100 percent owned by Fijian Holdings Limited—so there is a lot of confidence in our business.”
He also noted that day trips for South Sea Cruises have experienced significant growth. “Post COVID-19, we have seen a lot of direct bookings and a lot of people trying new experiences. Customers are coming from our source markets Australia and New Zealand. Fiji has been very resilient and bounced back post COVID-19, and the growth we have seen now is very positive.”