$5m plan will revive tourism industry
Fiji’s Tourism Action Group recovery campaign to revive the Fijian travel and tourism industry in the wake of the military takeover will cost $5million, says TAG Chairman Damend Gounder.
Damend also said that the committee was confident that with proper funding, visitor arrivals to Fiji would bounce back and be near normal by next June.
With TravelMole’s contribution to the recovery campaign already well underway, achieving success in educating the trade about Fiji NOW and driving bookings, with 15 Fijian partners taking part and the endorsement of FVB and TAG, Mr Gounder said a new marketing campaign would start next week, with the first phase of the campaign targeting New Zealand and Australia adding. “This will cost $1.2million”.
Damend also said the other phases of the campaign were still being developed.
At a meeting yesterday, he said committee members reviewed the action plans to increase forward bookings to put tourism back on track by substantially increasing foreign exchange through increased visitor numbers from the primary markets of Australia and New Zealand, adding that he was overwhelmed with the positive response from the industry, including the airlines.
“All of us in Fiji must work together to bring tourism back to pre-crisis levels,” he said, adding, “We are very aware of the importance of tourism, not only to protect the livelihoods of the employees of those directly involved with the industry, but thousands of people indirectly involved”.
“But we must emphasise that law and order must be maintained to ensure the industry moves ahead and travel advisories are downgraded”.
The committee was reactivated a week after the political upheaval to help overcome a significant decline in visitor arrivals and apart from the $5million for the marketing campaign, hoteliers and other stakeholders are providing a $4million discount to tourists in an effort to resurrect the industry,with HOT partner deals already being promoted to the Australian and New Zealand trade through TravelMole.
In 2005, visitors arrivals reached 500,800, with earnings of $712.8million.
Special Fiji Report by The Mole
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