Why aren’t Aussies and Kiwis visiting Fiji?

The Mole has been visiting resorts all over Fiji this week and has been very surprised to find that while business is much better than immediately after the coup when The Mole visited in January, for some strange reason, Aussies and Kiwis, are not visiting Fiji like they used to!

Hey, travel agents what’s up???

You are the key to getting your clients to visit Fiji and while some of you have clearly advised your clients that there is no danger in visiting Fiji – well done to you – others are still saying things like, Fiji is under a non democratic military government, but hey so are heaps of countries that you send your clients to without thinking!!

Some agents are also still saying that Fiji is not safe!  Amazing

Well guys, let me tell you, I am here and so are Aussies and Kiwis and Americans and Brits and so forth – all having a great time with the friendliest peope in the world – and I have not spoken with one single visitor who is or has been concerned for their or their families’ safety in Fiji in any way at an time!

Let me make it really clear – FIJI IS SAFE!

Oh, about those DFAT Travel Advisories, you have to remember that they are issued by ultra conservative Federal Government Officials and while they do a great job in protecting us as we travel around the world, you also have to remember that they are advisories and no more and and they will always take the most conservative and safest line – these are the same people that issued a travel advisory for travellers to Ireland about driving in Ireland in wet weather!

One island resort GM told me that Australia and New Zealand represented about 60% of their business in total, but New Zealand had slipped to about 6% of their business – hey Kiwis what’s happened?

I thought that Aussies and Kiwis did not worry about little things like this, especially when the Australia and New Zealand travel advisories are really nothing to do with the seafety of travel to Fiji, but are really about sanctions being placed on Fiji by Australia and New Zealand which will not be removed until there is a democratically elected government in Fiji – that could take some time!

If the tourism industry in Fiji has to wait that long, industry sources here tell me that many resorts will have hit the wall and equally importantly thousands of the most friendly and caring race in the world will have been forced into unemployement and poverty.

That is what sending visitors to Fiji is all about – making sure that these wonderful people can work and make a living, it is not about politicial positioning between governments – tourism is about peace and above all that!

Some resorts are currently running at 30% occupancy and some less than that!

A current highpoint is if a resort does not drop below 50% – also remember that this business is also on heavily discounted rates, some at 40% to 50% off rack, so the yield and revenue is very low.

The resort GM I spoke with also told me that their business from the UK and USA was growing really well and I have to say I heard heaps of American and British voices, most of whom said that they did not see the coup or safety in Fiji as an issue, saying it was so long ago and they had terrorism on their own doorsteps at home! 

So why are they visiting and from such distances and with expensive flights, when Aussies and Kiws are not?

If you have any comments to add, then please do so by clicking on COMMENTS below.

I urge you to book Fiji now and play yoru part in assistng the Fijian Tourism industry in its much needed recovery – NOW before it is too late.

As one prominent Fijian tourism personality told me “We have coups like other countries have elections – coups are like Fiji’s elections.”  Another said, “A coup is like bad weather, it comes and causes a bit of a storm but is soon over and we take no notice, it is a fact of life – we all get on with our lives as normal, in peace and tranquilty and total safety” – how Fijian and what Fiji is all about 

A Special Fiji Report by The Mole on location in Fiji.