Fiji tourists lost to neighbours
A report in the Fiji Times says that Fiji is losing its regular clients to the vigorous competition from Pacific island neighbours, says the Fiji Visitors Bureau, with Bureau chairman Patrick Wong saying there has been a moderate drop in numbers “but we are holding our own and slowly but steadily winning back our traditional client and targeting new segments and countries”.
“We estimate that we have lost about seven per cent from Australia but quite a lot more from New Zealand,” Mr Wong said. “These traditional visitors have shortened their average length of stay with the trend towards much shorter, four day breaks.”
“This has impacted the occupancy levels at hotels and remember there are many more hotel rooms now to fill.
In 2006, there were 8748 hotel rooms to fill while we have had a 7.5 per cent increase in available rooms currently 9403.”
The tourism industry has asked for $20.8million in its 2008 Budget submission to the Finance Ministry.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand have reiterated that their travel advisories on Fiji would only be reviewed when they saw progress towards elections.
The comments followed a plea for understanding of Fiji’s situation by the President Ratu Josefa Iloilo while launching the establishment of the National Council for Building a Better Fiji and the proposal to develop a People’s Charter for Change and Progress last week.
Ratu Josefa said the 40-member council was yet to be appointed because individuals were reluctant to join the council because of travel bans placed by Australia and New Zealand on families linked with the interim Government.
“The travel restrictions introduced by our closest neighbours make it difficult for qualified and experienced people to take up key appointments,” Ratu Josefa said.
A spokesman for the Australian High Commission said only after a Supervisor of Elections and the Boundaries Commissioners were appointed, and the review of the constituency boundaries proceeds, would Australia be prepared to initiate a partial relaxation of its travel sanctions in acknowledgement.
“Further progress towards elections would see further relaxation of our sanctions, on a step-by-step basis,” the spokesman said.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs senior press secretary James Funnell said New Zealand had previously made it clear that its range of measures would be reviewed on the basis of progress the interim government made in meeting agreed milestones to a return to constitutional and democratic government.
A Report by The Mole from the Fiji Times
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