for tourism

A ‘new face’ for tourism

Fiji’s image in its tourist markets needs a new face, delegates at the 25th tourism convention were told.

In his keynote address, prime minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara said he did not believe that a face a distinct identity to influence the quality of the experiences of the tourist had been adequately estab lished.

In doing this, a delicate ba lance had to be struck between quality, reliability, efficiency and the authentic Fiji atmos phere.

The challenge, said the prime minister, was to preserve Fiji’s heritage and to build on it and share it with visitors to the country.

The government was firmly committed to the tourist in dustry and was convinced that in the short to medium term it could contribute most towards real economic growth and job creation in Fiji.

Ratu Mara’s call for the deve lopment of a market face for Fiji was taken up by other guest speakers and delegates at the three-day convention in the Fiji Hyatt Regency.

One U.S. travel wholesaler told delegates that what the market needed was Fijians promoting their country as a tourist destination. It was no good sending Europeans, he stressed.

In an hour-long presentation to the convention, representa tives of the airline also gave details of the financial plight it had flown into between 1980 and 1985 before breaking even this year (see also page 25).

By March last year Air Pacific had accumulated losses of Fs36 million and when Qantas took over the management of the airline, it needed to gener ate Fs3 milion per year just to meet debt servicing require ments.

Air Pacific’s marketing director, John Campbell said that in 1985-86 the airline was forecasting a break even result which represented an Fsll mil lion turnaround.

“We now have greater confi dence in the future,” he said, adding that the approach was now one of “cautious expan sion. ”

The airline had set its sights on the Japan market, he said, as research had discovered that this sector was underserviced.

Other speakers appealed to the industry not to forget its base markets in New Zealand and Austrlaia.

One delegate said the perception of Fiji in these major markets was changing and that unfavourable exchange rates were not the only reason why the numbers of Australian and New Zealand tourists were de clining.