Tourism Fiji and key industry partners have combined resources to ensure Fiji and its famous ‘Bula Spirit’ is extremely well presented at two countries of the northern hemisphere’s biggest industry EXPO’s in 2010.
The National Tourism Office-Tourism Fiji along with 6 industry partners namely Air Pacific, Rosie Holidays, ATS Pacific, Mana Island Resort & Spa and Sonaisali Island Resort have confirmed their attendance on the Fiji stand at Internationale Tourismus Boerse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany which will take place from March 10-14th.
Other key promotions which Fiji will be presented at include BIT International Tourism Exchange in Milan Italy from February 18-21st and MITT International Travel & Tourism Exhibition in Moscow Russia from 17-20th March.
Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto said it might seem a case of striking while the “iron was still lukewarm” but the timing was perfect for Fiji with several of Europe’s biggest economies slowly beginning to emerge from the GFR on the back of ever improving economical traction.
“Fiji welcomed a total of 7131 European-based visitors in 2009 which while a 9.8 per cent drop on the 2008 performance (79, 568) still represents a fair performance given that several of the regions biggest economies –and in particular the UK, Germany and Italy- were in fact the hardest hit by the GFR,” he added.
“But we are definitely seeing changes in the region and the economic tide is beginning to turn.
“Adding to this, access to Fiji from Europe has received a major boost from the recently introduced FJ/CX code sharing linking Hong Kong with Nadi.
“This in itself will make it even easier for Europeans to reach our islands.
“While that new service providers an extremely important linkage into our developing China and north Asian markets, we are confident that a strong percentage of all those traveling on the service will have originated from European hubs.
“Preliminary advice from our wholesale and retail partners in both countries indicates that Fiji, while still very much an aspirational travel destination for many Europeans, is very top of mind and we need to convert that interest into actual business.
“Our participation at the Milan, Berlin and Moscow events is also intended to impress upon the key travel buyers in attendance that Fiji’s tourism multi-faceted infrastructure has now developed to the point where it is very much in place to handle the sophisticated European client’s needs, irrespective of requirement and budget.”
Mr Tuamoto said the national tourist office and partners also had their sights set on making stronger in roads into both the UK and European markets- and as a result would be coordinating a Fiji Bula bus through Munich, Erfurt, Prague, Dresden and the UK in September this year.
Mr Tuamoto encourages all tourism industry partners who are keen to participate in these promotional events to contact the Tourism Fiji Head office in Nadi.