FVB’s Gavoka says that Fiji’s visitor decline is better than expected
FVB CEO Bill Gavoka, says that more tourists visited Fiji in March than the Visitors Bureau initially expected with arrivals only 1.7% less than the same period last year.
He added that the number of visitors in March this year stood at 38,517 compared to 39,212 in the same month last year, saying that the decline was better than the bureau had initially forecast.
While he was pleased with the outcome, Mr Gavoka said it must be remembered there were now more hotel rooms available, “So occupancies in hotels may still be below expectations”.
He said, “May is looking very weak, but we hope once winterbegins to affect both Australia and NZ from June that numbers will pick up.”
He added, “Fiji’s opportunity in the North American market will be given a boost as Air New Zealand’s codesharing services with Air Pacific starts this month giving consumers the opportunity to fly direct to Fiji on any day of the week.”
Mr Gavoka also said the trend was that of a short lead time to bookings, so that people booked within weeks and days of travelling with in the past, people booking many months out.
He said the tourism industry was expected to have about 16,000 rooms by 2016 with an estimated $6 billion worth of tourism projects to boost the industry.
He said this translated to an increase in tourists of at least 1.2 million tourists a year by 2016, up from 514,000 in 2007, adding, “All this phenomenal growth will only be realised through more investments in hotels and the likes”.
“According to some estimates, some $6billion worth of tourism projects are in the plans.”
Mr Gavoka said if the travel advisories issued by Australia and New Zealand Fiji’s two biggest visitor markets could be downgraded, the chances of filling up Fiji during the winter would be much better, adding, “Let’s not forget they can easily go to Asia or other Islands in the South Pacific if they feel uncomfortable about Fiji.”
Mr Gavoka said the tourism industry had welcome the decision by the interim Government to let the police force take over the manning of checkpoints set up by the military, with the industry maintaining that the handover would improve Fiji’s international image and help increase visitor arrivals further.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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