Brad Calder has the dream job as the Group General Manager at Ahura Resorts. Part of the Rosie Travel Group – a 100% Fijian-owned travel company with nearly 50 years experience in tourism and hospitality throughout the Pacific – Ahura Resorts is the management company operating two of Fiji’s most popular, award-winning and iconic resorts – the long-time family favourite Malolo Island Resort, and the luxury escape for adults-only featuring Fiji’s first and only authentic over-water bures – Likuliku Lagoon Resort.
Find out what Brad had to say about his role and the industry in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
Managing the resorts of Likuliku Lagoon Resort and Malolo Island Resort and the newly acquired Honeymoon Island.
How have you tackled the difficulties caused by COVID-19?
We are now all left with the after-effects of Covid being rebuilding our teams, suppliers and properties after the lengthy 2-year closure and the uncertain future. As business is now stabilised, we look towards long-term growth and investment.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
The people, being our team, our guests and our owners.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession (outside of COVID-19)?
Having spent 9 years working in the Maldives where 90% of food is imported into the country and 40% of that by airfreight from Germany or Australia I am very surprised at the cost of produce in Fiji where land is abundant and fertile and producers in Australia and New Zealand are in such close proximity.
This is limiting for Fiji to be known as a culinary destination.
Additionally, guests nowadays want to experience farm-to-plate and to know where their food is sourced from so the availability of more locally-grown produce would help balance pricing.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
As with all hospitality businesses nowadays recruitment is our biggest challenge. Internationally many staff have left the industry during covid to find jobs which give them a better work life balance and many Fijians have left Fiji to take up these more lucrative roles overseas.
Thus, we must work hard to be recognised as an employer of choice and we must engage and assist those people who are either entering tertiary studies in the hospitality field or who are ready to enter the work force.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months?
Hopefully an increase in flight routes and more competition in the market to make flight prices more affordable for the benefit of tourist destinations.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
Supersonic Travel – allowing access to markets further afield.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try to implement this in your workplace?
Responsible Travel being socially economically and environmentally aware of your travel choices is a growing trend especially for those traveling to remote areas.
Whilst there is a lot of focus on offsetting the carbon footprint and introducing sustainable practices such as limiting single use plastics, recycling, composting as well as sourcing from sustainable partners.
Our business being Fijian owned also focuses on our community, which includes sponsoring the local village kindergarten, the native crested Fijian Iguana conservation and breeding program in association with the San Diego and Taronga Zoo’s as well as dry forest restoration on the island of Malolo.
Who inspires you most and why?
I have been inspired by many mentors in my career – too many to name.
What is your must-pack travel item(s)?
All you need is your passport and money.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
It would of course be with my wife who has travelled all over the world with me exploring exotic places like Namibia, Madagascar and the Galapagos and the destination would have to be one of the last natural wildernesses, Antarctica which has always been a dream of mine.
Contact Email: ggm@ahuraresorts.com