ROTUMA, located about 465 north-northwest of Fiji’s main islands, has seen its thin tourism sector get a small but significant boost.
The Tamania Homestay in Lopta, a district on the eastern (mua) end of Rotuma, was officially expanded, adding more room for visitors and strengthening one of the island’s few community-run accommodation options.
The upgraded homestay, commissioned by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu, includes a newly extended dining area and improved facilities supported through the Ministry’s Self-Help Programme.
The project was backed by $20,000 in government funding and lifts the property’s capacity to about 20 guests.
For owners Vilsoni Garisau Epeli and Navatonu Tonu, who opened Tamania Homestay in 2021, the expansion is more than a physical upgrade.
It is a practical investment in a business that sits at the centre of Rotuma’s tourism reality: small, local and highly dependent on direct hospitality rather than large-scale hotel infrastructure.
“We never imagined our small homestay would grow to this level. This assistance has lifted a heavy burden off our shoulders,” Epeli said.
He said the expansion would bring in more income for his family while also creating spillover benefits for the wider community.
“This expansion means more income for our family, but more importantly, it allows us to support our community through small jobs, local services and by welcoming more visitors to experience Rotuma. We are thankful that the government believed in what we are building here in Lopta,” he said.
Bulitavu praised the couple’s efforts and said Tamania Homestay is an example of how community-based enterprise can drive development in maritime areas.
He said the Self-Help Programme continues to create opportunities for families, strengthen local businesses, generate employment and encourage visitors to spend longer in Rotuma, where their spending supports local producers, transport providers and other small enterprises.
Accommodation on Rotuma remains limited, with options mainly confined to community-run homestays, private eco-lodges and government quarters.
The island is not a commercialised tourist destination, and online booking platforms often mislabel properties on the mainland of Fiji as Rotuma stays. Visitors usually need to arrange accommodation directly with local owners or through personal contacts.
That makes upgrades like Tamania Homestay especially important. On an island where tourism grows one guest at a time, expansion does not just add beds but also helps build the infrastructure of a still-emerging visitor economy.
