Fiji to host tourism exchange in May

The Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort, currently under construction on the Coral Coast of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu, has been selected to host the 2000 Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (BFTE) from May 16 to 19, 2000. When delegates check in at the hotel for next year’s BFTE, they will be among the first to experience Fiji’s newest deluxe resort.

BFTE is held annually in Fiji and brings together hundreds of international buyers (wholesalers) with hoteliers, resort operators, airlines, ground operators, rental car companies and other activity organizations associated with the tourism industry in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to introduce the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort to the movers and shakers of the international tourism industry,” said hotel general manager Ted Hardie.

“The resort is definitely going to be one of Outrigger’s finest in the Pacific, and we are confident that the Bula delegates will be singing the resort’s praises following the show in May.”

Work on the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is moving along at a very quick pace. “We had originally planned to open the hotel in June 2000, but with the accelerated construction schedule, we found ourselves in the unique opportunity of offering the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort as the venue for next year’s Bula Exchange,” Hardie said.

“We appreciate the confidence the BFTE Planning Committee has shown by granting us this great honor.” The Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is being built on the site of the original Reef Resort in the heart of Fiji’s Coral Coast.

A comfortable one hour drive from Nadi International Airport, and just three miles from duty free shopping in Sigakota, the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort has 207 deluxe air-conditioned rooms, all with ocean views and private lanai.

There are also 47 traditionally thatched, breeze-cooled bures

(bungalows) with vaulted ceilings lined with hand painted tapa cloth, spacious vanity areas and soft tropical furnishings.

The resort is lushly landscaped and reminiscent of a traditional Fijian village, with the individual bures nestled against a gently sloping hillside running down to the water’s edge.

There are walkways meandering throughout the property. Thatching, along with Fijian artwork and decor, are being used extensively throughout the hotel’s public areas and guest rooms to enhance the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort’s sense of place.

Guest rooms, bures and suites offer the most modern amenities, Refrigerator, color TV, clock radio, coffee maker, telephone with data port, in-room safe, electronic door locks, daily maid service and free parking are standard with every room. Outrigger’s exclusive Voyagers Club level of accommodations and service, with dedicated host, a private lounge an sundeck, is also available at the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort.

Resort amenities include a fitness center, huge freshwater pool and whirlpool spa, a business centre, meeting space for up to 200 people, a children’s program, travel desk, beauty salon and a selection of boutiques and shops.

There are a variety of on-site activities, including championship tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, kayaks, paddle boards, snorkeling equipment, horseback riding along the beach and traditional fire walking.

Innovative Fijian and Pacific island cuisine, along with Western favorites, can be enjoyed at the resort’s restaurants The open-air Sundowner Bar, which overlooks the beach, offers ice-cold beverages and wood-fired gourmet pizzas in a casual setting.

The Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is being developed by Geoffrey Shaw of Flillview Limited and is being managed by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, a division of Hawaii-based Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the largest lodging company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the Pacific.

Outrigger currently operates or has under development 45 hotels and resort condominiums throughout the Pacific region, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Micronesia, Australia and the South Pacific. Outrigger’s affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services, manages nearly two dozen hotels and resorts throughout the US mainland. ■

Tropical touch ... Fiji's tourism meeting is moving west