Ex Fiji resident moots promotion idea

A report in the Fiji Times says that a former Fiji resident says the Fiji Visitors Bureau should approach Fiji residents who have migrated to Australia, New Zealand and the United States to become ambassadors in these countries.

Sunia Raitava said the former residents could use various means like radio programs to promote Fiji, adding, “A few articles that have been published in the last couple of days or the past week state that flights and hotels are empty”.  “These are some of the things that we as former Fiji residents do not want to read about.”

Mr Raitava, who now lives in New Zealand, said former Fiji residents would be willing to host the Fiji Visitors Bureau in their towns and once they were appointed by the FVB, these ex-Fijians could then carry out public relations work among their friends and organisations.

He said, “We understand the FVB have their contacts and client base but this is another way for the community to play its part”.

“If we could try and send some of our friends or sports groups to holiday in Fiji that would benefit our tourism industry in a small way but it still would be a start.”  “But remember when we refer to the Fijian community it does not only mean the i-taukei as we are also referring to the Indian, part-Europeans and other ethnic backgrounds that have Fiji at heart.”

“The only things that FVB gives us are brochures.”

Mr Raitava said instead of local stakeholders in the tourism industry like the FVB forking out so much money, they should use former residents.

“Why can’t we go back to the grassroots and do promotional work with them to spread the word,” he said.

A Special Fiji Report by The Mole