17 October 2008

Fiji Tourism targets new visitors

Tourism Fiji is targeting new source markets to ensure the industry will be able to survive if the financial crisis affecting the United States and Britain stops the flow of visitors from major markets.

Describing the move as spreading its wings, Tourism Fiji has set in place strategies to lessen its reliance on the traditional markets of Australia, NZ and the US.

TF chairman Patrick Wong said it was necessary to safeguard the still-recovering industry from the shocks of the financial crisis.

He said they were preparing for when people who would normally holiday in Fiji would not come.

Mr Wong said several years ago, they started to look to Europe and even the old Soviet bloc as they became aware of the wealth and desire to travel to escape the winter months in those countries.

Mr Wong said people from the northern hemisphere travelled to Fiji during the low season of December, January, February and March.

He said they had recently had some success in Russia. Japan and South Korea he said had been sending visitors for some time but their numbers were dropping so they went into China and arrivals from exceeded those from Korea.

A Report by The Mole

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