FVB’s Jo Tuamoto and Fiji TAG’s Damend Gounder tell The Mole and each other “I told you so”!
Meeting with two of the key personalities behind the Fiji recovery programme last week, Fiji Visitor Bureau’s marketing chief Jo Tuamoto [left]and Fiji tour operator and Chairman of the Fiji Tourism Action Group, Damend Gounder, [right] in FVB’s offices in Nadi last week, it was clear that there was a certain sense of excitement with the meeting coming the day after the announcement by Australia that the DFAT travel advisory was being reduced, both having spent all day in meetings with the industry and both telling each other “I told you so!” that the Aussies would reduce their advisory.
It was clear that this was a key factor for the two guys, who along with their colleagues and other operators had spent may sleepless nights working out how to best recover the Fiji travel and tourism industry in light of the recent coup.
They also told The Mole that the downgrading of the travel advisory was the single most important piece of news for the Fiji tourism industry that week, along with the swearing in of the new Government and the appointment of a new Minister for Tourism.
They also stressed that the Government and industry in Fiji had to sing with one voice and that the industry in Fiji was very good at coming together when there was a crisis, while also reporting that the new Minister and they would be working hard at getting the current FVB marketing strategy back on track and in particular getting the recover advertising campaigns funded and active.
The programme in place was one where 40% discounts across the industry were on offer in Phase One, 30% or better in terms of room rates or stay and pay deals in Phase Two and in Phase Three 20% to normal rates.
While the Fiji Government was spending about $1million with and additional $200,000 coming from the trade, on the recovery advertising campaign, the industry was providing $4m in discount deals, but when asked why about $500,000 was being spent in Aus and $400,000 in the much smaller market NZ, Jo said that FVB had been very much in the Aus market place in recent months with substantial advertising which was showing results.
He added though that Australia had been a disappointment for Fiji with only 200,000 of Australia’s 20m population travelling to Fiji, with 120,000 Kiwis out of a population of 4m travelling to Fiji, therefore NZ showing a better per capita ROI.
Damend said that the advisory was clearly a foreign policy issues for Australia and they did not see eye to eye with Downer, but in closing their message to Australia and New Zealand was: –
We are still here with the same quality of product, are a here to protect your business and our business and of course drive new business.
We are very lucky to have our partners in Aus and NZ, so do what you can to get your clients travelling to safe and secure Fiji so that we can give them an amazing Fiji welcome!
A Special Fiji Report by The Mole
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