New lift drives growth as Tourism Fiji looks to build on 2022 results
BEATRICE ANG
Despite being battered by cyclones and a global pandemic that shut down its borders, visitors are flocking back to the island nation of Fiji. At the recent Fijian Tourism Expo (FTE) held at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort in Nadi, tourism officials were jubilant over the promising start to the year, as visitor arrivals hit 174,000 for the first quarter (January to March).
That is a big 102% jump from 2022 figures, which were already on the uptick, reports Travel Courier’s freelancer Beatrice Ang, who attended the Expo.
According to Fiji’s deputy prime minister and minister for tourism and civil aviation Viliame Gavoka, Fiji has recovered to pre-pandemic visitor arrival numbers.
Connection matters
Fiji’s biggest numbers hail from Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. respectively. In 2019, China ranked fourth in terms of arrivals but since the country reopened its borders in December 2021, Canada has clinched that position.
Last year, 9,879 Canucks visited the island nation and it looks likely that those numbers will be surpassed this year. From Jan-Apr 2023, there were already 7,515 Canadian tourists on Fijian shores.
Hannah Townsend, PR & marketing manager at Tourism Fiji’s North America’s office, noted that there has been a steady increase in Canadians travelling to Fiji since Fiji Airways (FJ) commenced direct flights from Vancouver last Nov. “We expect Canada to remain in the top five markets for Fiji,” she said.
Sam Youssef, VP, integrated marketing at TravelBrands has seen about a 30% increase in bookings to Fiji, all of whom travel via Vancouver.
Currently, FJ offers twice weekly flights from Vancouver-Nadi (YVR-NAN) on an A330 aircraft, and the carrier is awaiting the delivery of two A350-900 planes. These are expected to be deployed on the North American routes, including Vancouver, sometime in the fall. The new aircraft will be able to carry 60 more passengers each, offering more capacity on the popular Vancouver flights.
The A350-900 will feature a new Business Class with fully lie-flat seats. Plus, the new Bula seats will be introduced. These special Economy Class seats offer more legroom with their 34’’ seat pitch and 6-degree recline. The airline hopes to commence a third weekly flight on its YVR-NAN schedule possibly in December 2023 or January 2024.
Focus on North America
Tourism Fiji’s CEO Brent Hill is keen to attract North American travellers who are heading to Australia and New Zealand, to stop over in Fiji even if they are just transiting through the country. The destination marketing organization is partnering with Fiji Airways to position Fiji as an alternative and unique option as compared to popular vacation spots in the Caribbean and Mexico.
To achieve this, Tourism Fiji plans to expand its marketing initiatives by focusing on consumer and brand-focused campaigns showcasing the exceptional experiences, captivating landscapes and vibrant culture of the country.
“We have also prioritized collaborations with key players in the travel industry to ensure Fiji receives prominent exposure in travel itineraries and recommendations provided by Canadian agents,” he said. Tourism Fiji and FJ plan to bring hotel partners to trade and media events in various Canadian markets this year.
Tourism Fiji’s Canadian market is handled by the regional office for North America headed by director Ruth Daly, who is based in Los Angeles. On average, Canadians stay for 17.2 nights and look to trade their winter temperatures for Fiji’s endless sunshine, pristine beaches and warm waters.
Future outlook
This year’s FTE saw 107 international tourism buyers in attendance – in 2022, that number was 83. Also, most buyers had local or regional origins last year, while this year, more came from further afield, including Canada, the U.S. and China.
Discover Holidays’ owner Clayton Molstad of Vancouver was at FTE to get updates and to let suppliers know that they have plans to restart selling Fiji programs. In 2019, Molstad was ready to launch Fiji packages and had to put those plans on hold. He intends to release some packages very shortly. “It’ll be the best kept secret for the summer,” he said.
For William Duplak, VP South Pacific, Voyzant in Markham, FTE was a great event to meet so many inbound operators under one roof. He plans to assemble packages with a combination of trips to Australia and Fiji, sending guests via Vancouver or L.A.
Looking ahead, Hill of Tourism Fiji says that the goal is to make Fiji a world-class leisure destination and he would like to see more tourists spend time across the islands and not just stay on the main island of Viti Levu.
Currently, Fiji has an inventory of over 12,000 rooms but according to Tourism Fiji’s Daly, all resorts are full. About 1,000 rooms are set to come online by 2024, which would help alleviate that problem. These include the first Crowne Plaza in Nadi with 391 rooms, the 179-room Hilton Garden Inn in Suva, the 90-room Wyndham Garden Wailoaloa Beach, the 40-room Ramada Seafront Apartments on the Coral Coast and the conversion of the former 35-room Suncoast Wananavu Resort into 100 rooms.
In 2019, Fiji welcomed 894,389 visitors and received F$3.03 billion in tourism receipts.
The forecast for 2023 is 760,231 arrivals and F$2.35 billion visitor spend. For 2024, the target is to reach 1 million arrivals and F$3.10 billion in tourism earnings. The DMO plans to diversify its offerings and explore new avenues like sports tourism, eco-tourism and transit passenger experiences. For example, in Nov, it will host Spartan, the world’s largest obstacle race attracting over 2,000 participants worldwide.
While in Fiji, Voyzant’s Duplak took the opportunity to check out the various properties on different islands pre- and post-FTE.
“I had an incredibly wonderful experience,” he raved. “The locals have been very welcoming. Fiji is truly a relaxing destination and the luxury resorts have been wonderfully surprising. It’s a destination for all, both couples and families.”
Next year’s FTE will be held from May 6-8; venue yet to be determined.
Go to www.fiji.travel for more.
