1. Could you begin by introducing Koro Island Resorts and its place within Fiji's tourism sector?
Jeremy Vorwaller: Koro Island Resorts is the biggest tourism project so far in the Lomaiviti group. It will become part of the Northern Fiji Tourism Association, which currently has around 440 rooms available. By the time our development is complete, we expect to have approximately 165 keys, meaning we will represent roughly a quarter of the tourism accommodation capacity in the Lomaiviti group and the Northern Fiji Tourism Association. It is therefore going to be a major part of the development of the area.
2. On a remote island in the Lomaiviti group, how will the resorts contribute to Fiji's visitor experience and the wider economy?
Jeremy Vorwaller: One of the most exciting elements of the Koro Island experience will be the integrated tourism subdivision, where a significant number of homes will be developed. American families, for example, will be able to own or rent homes and use them as a getaway, with food and beverage services provided through the resort. This can create an experience that feels familiar while still being completely immersed in Fiji.
Tod Kidd: It is also going to be a major economic asset for the local community. There are 14 villages and around 4,000 people on Koro Island, with relatively limited employment opportunities. The development has the potential to create meaningful employment and help lift people out of poverty while keeping more families and young people on the island.
3. What's the vision behind this range and how will the properties complement one another?
Koro Island offers a distinctive one-island, 3-resort-experiences concept. Koro Beach Resort has accommodation for digital nomads and budget travelers. Dere Bay Resort will have family-friendly stays, alongside the restaurant and courtyard full of shops and spas. Koula Beach resort which will be an adult only, convention space and luxury pools.
Jeremy Vorwaller: The amazing part about Koro Island is that you don't have to go anywhere to do everything. We have world-class diving right outside the door, incredible snorkeling, huge waterfalls, hiking, fishing and village experiences. All within a few miles of the resort. We are also planning e-bike tours around the island.
In other parts of Fiji, you may have to travel for hours to experience different activities. Once you arrive at Koro Island, you have everything you could want for a Fiji holiday in one place. You can visit villages, explore nature, dive, hike, fish or simply relax. It is an all-in-one experience where you will never be bored.
4. What is the story behind the project? What made you choose Fiji, and why did the two of you decide to work together?
Tod Kidd: Jeremy, his wife Brandy and I have known each other since high school. Jeremy and I used to go skiing together, and we have remained friends ever since. Jeremy and Brandy originally came to Fiji to look at residential property and ended up looking at the Dere Bay Resort as a potential acquisition.
He came back to the United States, and we started talking about teaming up on the purchase and development of the resort. My background is in construction, so that naturally became part of how we approached the project.
Jeremy Vorwaller: We also have a very strong group of American investors behind the project. Seven of our friends (who all graduated class of 1994) are investors, and in total there are 27 U.S. families involved in the investment. Many of them have connections to Idaho, where Tod and I grew up.
5. You have mentioned potential U.S. investment and infrastructure initiatives. Could you tell us more about that?
Jeremy Vorwaller: There is an American investment company, MCC, that is coming to visit Koro Island to explore potential U.S. government initiatives and investment opportunities. One of the objectives would be to support infrastructure and a last-mile initiative that can help lift people out of poverty.
Because we already have 27 U.S. investor families involved, there is a strong interest in helping develop the infrastructure around Koro Island. This could benefit the five villages around the proposed development and create a much broader economic impact.
There are also discussions about potentially bringing in other major international partners, including India, Australia and Japan, to support infrastructure development. The objective is not simply to build a resort; it is to help transform the economic opportunities available to the approximately 4,000 people living on Koro Island.
6. With the adults-only luxury Koula Beach Resort (Golden Beach resort in Fijian) and overwater bungalows planned for the coming years, you are moving into Fiji's high-end market. What drove that expansion and what will it bring to Koro Island and Fiji's luxury tourism offering?
Jeremy Vorwaller: The first overwater bungalows will actually be at Koro Beach. We are targeting June 2027 for the first phase, with 30 overwater bungalows planned. A further 32 are envisioned as part of the five-star resort, bringing the overall potential to approximately 62 overwater bungalows.
The Koro Beach overwater bungalows are expected to begin construction in October, subject to the final permits, with the construction schedule envisaged at approximately one bungalow per week.
The landscape of Koro Island is one of the main reasons we chose to develop overwater bungalows there. We have a double coral reef system directly in front of the property, which helps slow the waves and creates a beautiful, pristine setting.
Overwater bungalows are also among the most searched-for luxury accommodation experiences globally. We want the interiors to offer a modern, comfortable experience, while the moment guests step outside, they are completely immersed in Fiji.
7. Operating on a less-visited island brings both charm and challenges, including access and connectivity. What are the biggest opportunities and obstacles in developing Koro Island as a destination?
Tod Kidd: We knew from the beginning that getting guests on and off the island would be one of the major challenges. We are therefore having a catamaran built that will carry approximately 20 to 32 passengers between Savusavu and Koro Island.
The journey should take around one hour and 20 minutes, and the boat itself will be part of the experience, with music and drinks available for guests.
Jeremy Vorwaller: Koro Island also has its own airport. At present there is approximately one flight a week, but we are in discussions with Fiji Airways about increasing the number of flights as the airport infrastructure improves.
When we flew from Nadi to Koro Island in a private aircraft, the journey took only 37 minutes. That demonstrates the potential connectivity. For American travelers arriving in Fiji early in the morning, it could eventually be possible to arrive at Koro Island and be at the resort before 8 a.m., making the destination surprisingly accessible despite its remote setting.
There is also something very special about the island's authenticity. Koro Island was heavily affected by Cyclone Winston, and many of its villages have remained much as they were before 2016. There are no paved roads in many places, and the village experiences are genuine rather than staged.
One of our properties has four miles of beach, meaning guests can walk for hours without seeing another person. It is a truly peaceful and authentic island experience.
8. What are the key improvements needed to fully realize Koro Island's potential?
Tod Kidd: At the new five-star Koula Beach Resort, we are planning a 200-seat convention center, with a restaurant and pool area. This will allow us to attract conferences and events from around the world.
One of our partners/investors, JaMee King, owns Lumin Events, an international conference and seminar company. She sees an opportunity to bring some of those events to Koro Island. This is huge for the Lomaiviti group and Fiji as a whole.
The integrated tourism subdivision is also important because a 200-seat convention center requires accommodation capacity. Rather than simply building hundreds of hotel rooms, we can use the residential homes to accommodate conference participants.
Today's companies are increasingly looking for destinations where they can combine business with privacy and genuine experiences. Guests can hold a conference inside the convention center and then step outside into a beautiful, remote island environment.
9. Local communities, culture and people are central to the Fijian experience. How will the resort support local employment, training and partnerships with the island's villages and communities?
Jeremy Vorwaller: That is one of the things we will be most proud of. Our goal is to employ as many people as possible from Koro Island itself. Some management positions may initially be filled by people from the mainland who can help train local employees, but the long-term objective is to build a strong local workforce.
We are already employing close to 40 people even though the resort has not yet fully opened.
Because there have historically been limited employment opportunities on Koro Island, many educated and experienced people have left to work elsewhere in Fiji. As the development progresses, we are seeing some of these qualified people return because they want to live in their villages and work close to home.
Someone might earn a higher hourly wage in Nadi, but they also have to pay rent and higher living expenses. On Koro Island, they can live in their village, grow or access food from their own farms and spend less on housing and transportation. We can therefore offer people a better overall quality of life, even if the hourly salary is not always higher.
We have also met with chiefs from the different villages, and retaining young people on the island is one of their major concerns. Many young people currently leave for the mainland or Australia. Keeping families and young people connected to their communities is a major part of our vision for Koro Island.
10. Traveller expectations are shifting toward authenticity, nature and meaningful experiences. How does Koro Island Resorts respond to what today's travellers are looking for?
Jeremy Vorwaller: Travelers today are increasingly looking for authentic culture, and Koro Island offers exactly that. We have waterfalls, hiking trails stretching for miles and village experiences that allow visitors to meet local communities.
The villages are also developing activities for visitors, including traditional cooking experiences such as lovo. We have participated in those ourselves, and it is a very unique experience.
We also want the resorts to be as environmentally responsible as possible. We are developing our own farming and hydroponics operations, while several villages have established gardens and farms from which we are already buying fresh local produce.
We have purchased two solar battery containers and 550 solar panels, with the intention of running both resorts primarily on solar energy, with diesel backup.
Tod Kidd: Another important element is catering to digital nomads and today's connected travelers. Every room will have strong internet connectivity and a 55-inch flat-screen television with services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The idea is to combine the best of both worlds. When the weather is beautiful, guests can step outside and enjoy Fiji; when Mother Nature is not cooperating, they can still relax comfortably inside.
11. Sustainability is increasingly important for remote island operations. What steps are you taking to protect Koro Island's reefs, rainforests and natural environment?
Jeremy Vorwaller: One of the most important environmental issues we identified relates to sediment runoff. Since Cyclone Winston, heavy rainfall has caused significant runoff on Koro Island, with sediment reaching the reef and putting pressure on the marine environment.
Through our coastal studies, environmental impact assessments and work with specialists including Dr. Shaw, we have identified measures that can help address this. As part of the resort development, we are building sediment ponds along the creeks to reduce the amount of mud and debris reaching the reef.
We are also seeing interesting changes in the local environment. When we first acquired the property, it was heavily overgrown and there were relatively few parrots. As we have cleared and prepared the site, the number of parrots has increased significantly.
A bird specialist who visited explained that parrots can struggle in extremely dense vegetation because they cannot fly through it easily or see predators. The changes we have made have created an environment where they are much more visible.
Today, sitting at the restaurant and watching parrots flying around is a beautiful part of the experience.
12. North America is a significant source market for Fiji. What opportunities do you see for attracting more travelers and investment from the United States, particularly from the West Coast and California?
Jeremy Vorwaller: The 450 residential home lots planned as part of the integrated tourism subdivision represent a major opportunity for the U.S. market.
For someone in Los Angeles, for example, Koro Island could become a genuine getaway home. You can board a plane in Los Angeles in the evening and wake up in Fiji the following morning. With the right connectivity, it becomes a very accessible second-home destination for the West Coast.
The same applies to the luxury tourism offering. From Los Angeles, travelers can reach Fiji with a roughly 10-hour flight and then a short domestic connection to Koro Island. It can be significantly simpler to reach an overwater bungalow in Fiji than some other famous overwater destinations such as Bora Bora or the Maldives.
13. Looking ahead, what is your vision for Koro Island Resorts over the next five to ten years?
Tod Kidd: Over the next five years, a major part of our vision is the development of Matana, or Eastwood Estates, including the marina, convention center and residential subdivision.
We see this as much more than a resort development. It is a transformation project for the island, involving tourism, infrastructure, employment, housing and new opportunities for the local communities.
14. What would you say sets Koro Island apart from other destinations in Fiji?
Jeremy Vorwaller: There is something special about Koro Island. It is known as the “Island of Song,” and you understand why when you spend time there.
The people are incredibly happy and welcoming. You will walk past the kitchen and hear the staff laughing or find someone singing while doing the laundry. It is something that really stays with you.
Many of the families have very little, yet they are among the happiest people you will meet. Visitors who have experienced the resort consistently tell us that the people of Koro Island were one of the most memorable parts of their experience.
It is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Koro Island has attracted well-known visitors over the years, including people such as Clint Eastwood and Carol Burnett. Many of the islands around Koro Island are privately owned, so visitors cannot access them.
We want to offer a little bit of that hidden paradise to the rest of the world.
15. Is there a particularly distinctive cultural experience that visitors can discover on Koro Island?
Jeremy Vorwaller: One of the villages near our resort has a traditional turtle-calling ceremony. It involves a beautiful hike to the location where the community performs the ceremony.
It is an extraordinary cultural experience and another example of the authentic traditions that visitors can discover on Koro Island.
