Bold new moves on Fiji tourism front
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With Air Pacific, Jetstar, V Australia and Air New Zealand serving Fiji, links with the Australasian market are strong. But more seats are needed, according to Fiji, and negotiations are underway with the Australian Government to increase the number of seats permitted under the Air Services Agreement by 10,000 a week.
Tourism Fiji chief executive Josefa Tuamoto, said interest was also returning to the meetings and incentive market. He named India,
Tourism Fiji chief executive Josefa Tuamoto (right) with Fijian warrior at BFTE.
China, the Middle East and South America as markets Fiji was keen to develop.
The new Air Pacific Hong Kong route and Cathay Pacific codeshare was “crucial to us in Fiji”, Tuamoto said, “and we hope to increase this to four flights a week from the current two weekly”.
Fiji boosted its tourism budget last year to counteract the global financial crisis and will maintain it at last year’s level for this year.
Other tourism-generating measures touched on at BFTE by Tuamoto and Fiji’s Minister for Tourism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, included:
Super yachts.
The Fiji government’s recently introduced ‘super yacht’ decree is seen as a catalyst for a new stream of high-end tourism and revenue. The decree allows vessels designated as super yachts – large, very luxurious sail and power boats of at least 24 meters in length and starting in value from around FJD3million, are now be allow visit, sail and charter in Fijian waters.
“There is much interest in Fiji in the super yacht fraternity,” Tuamoto said. The vessels often sailed between Tahiti and Australia’s northeast coast.
Super yacht owners rank among the top 2% of the world’s wealthiest people. As tourists, they spend more per capita than any other travel group. Many super sail round-the-world cruises and Fiji hopes that when they visit Fiji, they will spend at least three to eight months in the country. This would provide a bonanza in the form of marina fees, provisions, fuel, local guides, local labour, plane charters, marine services, general shopping plus five-star accommodation and dining while moored. Apart from main ports, much of the expenditure would occur in outer island ports such as Savusavu, Malau, Wairiki and Rotuma, Fiji estimates.
Tourist VAT refund system
Implemented in January 2010 to encourage tourism spend, visitors to Fiji spending more than FJD500 in one day in selected tourism outlets in Suva and Nadi are entitled to claim a 12 per cent refund from the country’s customs authorities on departure. The new scheme is boon for international visitors, particularly the thousands of cruise passengers visiting Suva this year. Taumoto sees it as a move to recreate Fiji’s reputation as a shopping destination – a mantle it held in the 1970s.
Visitors must present their purchases along with a VAT refund form, the original tax invoice, their passports and international boarding pass/cruise ship boarding pass at special desks being set up in both pre and post check-in areas in Nadi International Airport and on board all cruise ships entering Suva Harbour. More than 50 cruise vessels are expected to enter Fijian waters in 2010, most of which include Suva as a port of call.
‘Green Me – Clean Me – Fiji Me’
Fiji has launched a national low carbon travel and tourism sector initiative, harnessing key players in the destination’s tourism, hotel and business sectors. The idea is to make Fiji a low-carbon tourism destination. This will involve sustainability initiatives and technologies – including encouraging hotels and resorts to grow more of their own food rather than import it. The Fiji government has also announced a scheme to plant one million trees across the country by 2011.
While Fiji was only a small nation, Tuamoto said, the new tree-planting campaign would demonstrate its resolve.
Written by: Peter Needham
