FORTY-FIVE landowners of Taveuni will now have better understanding of utilising available resources after being part of a two-week tour on national heritage sites in parts of Viti Levu.
The team headed by the Cakaudrove Provincial Council office and funded by Nature Fiji last week toured Koroyanitu Forest Reserve, Wailotua Back Cave and Nakauvadra Range in Ra to name a few.
Speaking on their behalf, Roko Tui Cakaudrove Ro Aca Mataitini said they decided to include the landowners in the trip to help them generate better ideas of making use of their own land.
"Visiting these sites is an eye-opener for the landowners because it will help them develop their land and make use of the available resources for financial benefits," Ro Aca said. "They will also learn the methods of preserving their land even if it's used up for development purpose.
"This is a learning opportunity for them because they have witnessed how the people in these visited areas benefit from the historical sites in their pieces of land," he said.
He said they would visit some sites in Nadroga and Sigatoka before leaving for Vanua Levu.
"At least, when these landowners return to their own villages, they will have a variety of knowledge on how to go about making use of their resources.
"They can either build an eco-tourism site, identify historical sites in their area for tourist attraction, something that will generate income for them," he said.