Handicraft sale slides down

15 Nov '08

1 min read

Visitors to Fiji are the main consumers of handicraft produced here. The trend is that when these tourists come to Fiji, they usually purchase small hand crafted items made of wood or something as memento.

Fiji is a major stop over point for long haul ships. The main problem these days is the less number of cruising ships from Australia and New Zealand.

However, the trend of yester years when Fiji was the thriving, Duty Free port selling to Australia and New Zealand is almost disappeared. The shopping festivities by the Kiwis and Aussies are no longer the craze it once used to be.

Himmat Lodhia, President, Fiji Retailers Association, told to Fibre2fashion, “This is mainly because of global recession along with high prices of products. Now these are easily available in Australia and New Zealand markets and at very competitive prices. So the thought and craving for the so called Duty Free items is all gone. The only room in such kind of shopping is general impulse buying.”

Thus, it is expected until and unless, more and more tourists start visiting the country, the sale of handicraft will not rise.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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