Fiji still seen as good holiday place

David Voss, Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange says that overseas buyers at the BFTE selling holidays to Fiji perceive the country to be a very active market as far as tourism is concerned despite the political problems of last year.

Maintaining in Fijilive and in a discussion with The Mole that the BFTE which was held last week in Nadi was “a very successful event,” Voss says the response from the buyers coming in is a great thing for Fiji even though there was a military coup in December and the tourist numbers are down.

“They perceive Fiji to be a very, very active market and on the whole, the general perception of Fiji and the Pacific is that it is a great holiday destination and a safe one.”

The BFTE saw 174 buyer delegates this year, up by 15% over last year and 198 seller companies with about 460 delegates, totalling about 634.

Voss admitted that while it would take a while for Fiji to get tourism arrivals back to its former numbers, he believes there is a perception on the public side, such as in Australia and New Zealand, “that we had a problem with the coup.”

He says the general perception of coups are that they are violent but Voss described Fiji’s coup as Pacific Island style coups, “that are nice and peaceful.”

“I think a majority of the buyers from the United States, Europe and Japan don’t really read the small print about coups and they know Fiji.”

“They are ones who know where their livelihood comes from plus they are still selling holidays in Fiji even with the current situation.”

Still he says that Fiji is finding it hard to compete with other destinations, which have huge advertising budgets.

Voss compared Fiji’s marketing budget of $10 million a year to Tahiti’s which he claims gets $50m a year to advertise the country.

“It really comes down to that situation, you have to keep your country in the public’s eye and how do you do that.”  “You have to do the marketing.”

It’s the public who buy the holidays that retailers sell and wholesalers and tour operators put together.”

He says when the Government gives funding to the tourism industry, “they say oh we are giving you money.” But Voss believes it should be called an investment, because that is what it is, an investment in people and jobs and at the end of the Day the economy.”

“The money that people spend on advertising, it is an investment for the future. That is what we have got to keep on saying – an investment.”

Asked whether Fiji’s tourism industry was suffering from lack of forward bookings, Voss says the strange thing is that Fiji wide forward bookings have changed from past years.

“We always used to receive bookings three to four months prior to arriving, now we are finding people are booking two or four weeks out.

And why is that? Voss firmly believes this is due to fact that people are getting used to the Internet.

“There are far more bookings coming through Internet and with all the options available in the market place, people are being a little bit more aware of where they are going in the sense of value for dollar.”

“For instance, Australia has seen advertising for holidays in Hawaii for $699 including air fares against a holiday in Fiji for $899.”

“This is what we are up against plus the Asian destinations are very competitive,” Voss says.

“Now if people want to go on holiday in June, they leave it to lot later, because there is such competition out there, they are waiting for something like Suva on Sale.”

He says people are waiting for such deals all the time because there is huge discounting worldwide on holidays including Europe and Australia where deals are very cheap.

He says that everybody at the BFTE have been talking to the locals agents to give them additional incentives for the rest of the year.

“This may give us in an increase in visitor arrivals,” Voss believes.

Last Thursday night, the Tourism Action Group plus the Nadi Town Council along with various sponsors organised a street party, closing up the road near duty free shop Jack’s up to Prouds, with food stalls, music, salvation army band playing and school kids coming in through and marching.

“We had a huge crowd there and it shows the overseas visitors, that we are up and running and that Fiji is a free and safe society, there are no armed guards, the police are still not armed.”

“It was a fun night and everybody enjoyed it. It is what Fiji is all about.”

Report by The Mole on location in Fiji including information from Fijilive