FHTA Tourism Talanoa: Leading The Way

FHTA, 21 April 2022 –?The eagerly anticipated Easter long weekend came and went with thousands of Fijians joining international visitors on beaches and resorts right around the country.

The four-day weekend provides a less rushed opportunity to catch up with friends or relatives as well as celebrate the many religious milestones for Fiji’s multi-ethnic communities that coincidentally, take place in April.

Nearly every hotel or resort, whether small, medium or large, or whether high end, mid-priced or affordable – reported full bookings, with thousands more of our tourism staff putting their best efforts on display to welcome domestic and international visitors.

While domestic tourism might contribute a smaller portion of tourism’s potential earning power, it tends to take place more often and is equally welcomed.

For Fiji, this will be the first month that the majority of tourism properties have been opened and ready for higher guest numbers, coming some 4 months after officially reopening its borders to international travel.

Visitors from our core markets of Australia, the US and then more recently, New Zealand have taken advantage of the reopening to book travel options.

But international travel still comes with a confusing array of travel requirements depending on the country of origin and the country being visited, despite the waning Omicron levels.

For the US, surveys reveal still high confusion with travel requirements to the European Union with restrictions (pre and post-departure testing) continuing to ease from early April onwards due to pressure from the respective travel industry stakeholders.

Despite reducing Omicron levels, more than 100 countries, including some Caribbean islands as well as many European favourites, continue to have “Level 4” warnings.

For the Pacific, many of our regional neighbours are still hesitant to reopen, with many still grappling with the economic impacts of closed borders as they consider the unsustainability of “zero-COVID” strategies with the Omicron variant making its presence felt anyway.

A recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reveals that Fiji is currently ranked first in Asia’s “travel readiness index” for having the most favourable conditions for tourism recovery.

The travel readiness index ranked 28 Asian countries based on the importance of tourism in their economy, local vaccination coverage, ease of travel and the convenience of returning home.

A lower score is indicative of more favourable conditions.

Fiji has led the way with a score of 1.95, while Malaysia and Sri Lanka have been ranked second and third respectively.

But that surprising (and welcome) acknowledgement has not come without the tremendous efforts from the tourism industry and the Government agreeing that to get where we are now, needed massive collaboration which allowed us to navigate our way through a time best forgotten.

If there was any doubt about the importance of the Fijian brand when re-emerging after a 20-month international border closure, it has been replaced by a savvier understanding of how it has supported this tiny but resilient Pacific Island nation get its groove back.

And then some, if the April visitor numbers and reports of full resorts are anything to go by.

Such is the impact and marketability of a globally recognised destination brand that has stayed firmly fixed on maintaining safety as a key part of its attractiveness.

But we cannot rest on our laurels, as few as they may be. If Fiji wants to continue to remain top of all the regional holiday destinations (and it does), it must be prepared for the stiff competition that is coming once other destinations get their groove back.

Hawaii, Bali, Tahiti et al have roared back to life over the past few months but for now, we’re revelling a little in our position at the top as the most preferred destination.

Meanwhile, there is a strong estimation that even more visitors than were being expected will touch down in Nadi looking for a well-earned holiday over the next few months.

With the uncertainty of the pandemic, concern that forced people to stay at home has turned into hope with travel freedoms, through the development and delivery of vaccines across the world.

People are still more anxious than ever about their health, what they are touching, who they are around and more importantly, where they are going.

While hands are being washed more, staying at home may be more acceptable and general good health is being appreciated more; removing travel freedoms is tolerated only for so long and then suddenly, travel restrictions are seen as more than just inconveniences.

In response to the new travel demand, we’ve seen new, enhanced cleaning measures in airports, aircraft interiors, catering companies, land and sea transportation, hotels, sporting arenas, office buildings, supermarkets, bars and restaurants and while these were cost-prohibitive, time-consuming and extremely labour intensive, it has been our only logical way back.

Destination Fiji now has a little more funding to launch its full-scale marketing campaign to entice more visitors over and in preparation, Fiji must ensure that our products and services are polished and to expectations.

From the arrival concourse at the international airport to the reception areas in a hotel to the reading of specials in an intimate restaurant setting – it is all our responsibility to ensure we’re at the top of our game.

And that includes the service stations and little restaurants that locals and tourists will stop by over the next few months.

Refill that soap and sanitiser dispenser, clean those toilets and polish those surfaces – along with your welcome smiles, the world is watching and appreciating your efforts as well.

As soon as the remaining travel requirements for pre-arrival, pre-departure and post-arrival testing are removed; “normalcy” may be just around the corner.

By: Fantasha Lockington – CEO, FHTA?(Published in the Fiji Times on 21 April 2022)