Tough going for Fiji Tourism marketers

April 14, 2009 01:59:23 PM

• A⁺ 
• A^-
• |
• 
• |
• 
• |
• 

Marketing Fiji as a tourist destination against the backdrop of bleak global economic conditions is more challenging than ever before, said Tourism Fiji’s chief executive officer Josefa Tuamoto.

“It is certainly a challenge for us to market Fiji at this time and especially since we are competing with other destinations in our region. But we’ll get there,” said Tuamoto.

He said the main focus of Fiji’s tourism industry now is to get the numbers, and he hoped that the campaigns carried out in the last two months would now begin to pay off.

Fiji’s tourism industry suffered a 27 per cent drop in arrival figures in January, which Tuamoto attributed to the flood that hit the country that month.  This however has not dampened the spirit of Tourism Fiji, a government funded entity tasked with marketing Fiji overseas as an attractive tourist destination.

“The main focus now for the industry is really to maintain the volume so that planes can be filled, hotels can be occupied and jobs are kept. My biggest motivation is making sure that our industry workers don’t lose their jobs and that they are able to put bread on the table.  So our usual marketing campaigns, the main one being Fiji Me as well as campaign for the niche markets, are ongoing,” said Tuamoto. 

He said there was growing popularity for Fiji’s dive and adventure as well a growing interest in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Exhibitions) niche markets.