Islands Business - Niue’s acting premier defends airport upgrade

ALOFI, Niue ---- Niue’s acting Premier is defending a major airport upgrade tourist operators say they were not consulted about. O’Love Jacobsen says a new shelter over the arrivals and departures area looks impressive from the outside and people are already appreciating the facility. She said the China-funded development was commissioned by the Premier, Toke Talagi, and is using local labour. The Tourist Authority’s chairperson, Hima Douglas, says the design of the building isn’t conducive to the handling of passengers but Ms Jacobsen says it’s not finished yet. “If people are complaining about it, you know when you’re doing developments in any airport it’s an inconvenience to anything until it’s completed. But right now it’s not completed, they haven’t finished, because they have to take those things out so it gives way to picking up, dropping off and all that kind of thing. And until that’s completed you won’t expect to see any smooth running.” The head of Niue’s Tourist Authority said a lack of consultation’s prevented the island’s tourism industry from embracing a major airport development. The Tourist Authority’s chairperson, Hima Douglas, said at the moment there’s no access for collecting and dropping off passengers and tourism operators are awaiting the project’s completion with bated breath. “Like all plans some will like it, some won’t but it would have been good I think if there was input from the members of the tourism industry and that way it becomes a project that they can embrace. As it is the planning was done by central government and I don’t think anybody else was consulted.”