Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association

Tourism Fiji Media Release

Nadi – 10 June 2019

Tourism Fiji in partnership with Fiji Airways recently welcomed the well-known Chinese actor and singer, Mr. Luo Yunxi, to visit Fiji. Mr Luo is regarded as a unique, positive and influential storyteller and was engaged by Tourism Fiji to visit Fiji and share his experiences with the destination across his networks.

Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Fiji, Matthew Stoeckel said, “China is a strategically important market for Fiji. It’s our fourth largest market with more Chinese visitors traveling to Fiji each year. We were thrilled to work with Mr Luo in creating content around his visit to Fiji that will be shared with his more than 12 million followers.”

With a bright and vibrant image, Mr. Luo has gained popularity with his role in a hot TV series in China. Being a lover of nature and adventure, Luo’s trip to Fiji in May has seen him participating in activities such as a cultural village tour, skydiving, snorkeling and a helicopter scenic tour over the Mamanuca Islands.

Commenting on his trip to Fiji, Luo said, “I was extremely delighted to be invited to visit Fiji and to champion the promotion of Fiji since its one of my favourite holiday destinations. The country has so much to offer and I’m fascinated by its warm and welcoming people, spectacular nature, unique culture and traditions as well as its range of adventure activities. I recommend everyone to experience Fiji, the place where happiness finds you, once in their lifetime as there’s truly nothing like it.”

Tourism Fiji regional manager in Greater China Vincent Zheng said, “With Luo’s influence in China, Tourism Fiji is confident to be able to create buzz and excitement about Fiji as a must-visit holiday destination within the market. We will collaborate with our brand ambassador in a number of ways, ranging from media hosting and profile-raising opportunities, to content development, events and social media campaigns.”

For more information please contact:

Ellen Magnus
Tourism Fiji
Communications Coordinator
Phone: (679) 6722433 Ext 3113
Mobile: (679) 7777912
Email: estolz@tourismfiji.com.fj

Fiji Times – 9th June 2019

GUESTS and staff of the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort joined forces earlier this week to celebrate Ozone Day by planting corals near the resort’s famous lagoon.

Guests were treated to an information session by staff before venturing out to place new corals along the resort’s foreshore.

The Coral Coast property marks Ozone Day each year…read more.

Press Release – 8th June, 2019

Plantation Island Resort is proud to announce that it will be opening a stunning new restaurant called Tavola Restaurant on 1 September 2019.

Tavola Restaurant will be an all-day dining a la carte restaurant serving flavours of the Pacific, set on one of the best locations in the Mamanuca Islands.

The Restaurant’s architecture reflects a tall, traditional, Fijian thatched bure with open spaces and spectacular ocean views over Malolo Lailai Bay.

Tavola Restaurant will seat up to 120 guests and will be open from 7:30am until 9pm each day.

The Restaurant is part of a brand-new precinct at Plantation Island Resort which also includes an Arrivals Bure, Pool, Bar & 40 new
Ocean View Hotel Rooms. Read more…

Reuters – 8th June, 2019.

The total solar eclipse expected in northern Chile early next month is already drawing flocks of visitors eager to glimpse a rare view of the phenomenon through the region’s clear skies.

In Coquimbo, a region spanning the Pacific coast and the Andes, tourism demand has already eclipsed offerings of some services, forcing hotels there to put up signs warning they have no rooms left by the July 2 event.

Flights to Coquimbo offered by Chile’s LATAM Airlines as well as budget carriers Sky and JETSMART are being snapped up, as a clock in the coastal town of La Serena in Coquimbo counts down to the big day. Read more..

Fiji Times – 8th June, 2019

The Industry, Trade and Tourism Ministry has been allocated a total of $67.1 million in the 2019/2020 National Budget.

According to the budget estimates, the ministry would continue to add fuel to the Fijian tourism industry ensuring that tourism numbers from visitors to dollars spent continued on their upward trajectory.

“To foster the sustainable development…read more.

The Fiji Times, 07 June 2019 – THE Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) says people should stop speculating on what may have led to the unfortunate deaths of two American tourists in Fiji.

FHTA president Dixon Seeto said everyone should await the outcome of tests being done by the authorities.

“We really don’t know anything,” he said.

“We have advised our members of the latest updates from the Ministry of Health and are keeping them abreast of this.…read more

Blue Swan Daily, 31 May 2019 – Global trade has weakened, trade wars are intensifying and fuel prices have risen significantly. In addition, geopolitical tensions are leading to airspace closures in key regions. It is no wonder that IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said the airline industry is “seeing some headwinds” and noted the “last six months have been tough for airlines” ahead of this weekend’s IATA AGM in Seoul, South Korea.

Solid international passenger growth was the best of a bad set of performance metrics revealed by IATA for Apr-2019 as the industry continued to struggle in the fast-changing operational landscape. International passenger demand rose +5.1% year-on-year. All regions recorded traffic increases, led by airlines in Europe. Total capacity climbed +3.8%, and load factor climbed 1.1ppts to 82.5%.…read more

Blue Swan Daily, 31 May 2019 – Most understand the need for the travel industry, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, to find innovative ways to rapidly reduce its impact on climate. In the automotive industry, this is led by the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), including plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV).

Summary:

• Electric vehicles are expected to make up 57% of the global passenger car sales by 2040 driven by falling battery costs and changing consumer habits, according to a new report;
• New EV models will increase competition and likely drive down costs;
• EVs nonetheless still lag heavily behind ICEs, mainly due to charging infrastructure restrictions.

Read more…

Marriott International Fiji, 06 June 2019 – Marriott International Fiji is delighted to announce staged refurbishment of Sheraton Fiji Resort commencing 1 October 2019

Due to popular demand for the iconic Sheraton Fiji Resort, the refurbishment plan has been updated to ensure that guests can continue to enjoy the resort whilst the transformation to the new global Sheraton standard takes place.

Following the support from guests and the travel community, and the overwhelming requests for the resort to remain open during refurbishment, it is very fortunate that the layout of the resort with seven individual accommodation wings and separate lobby building, can easily allow the refurbishment works to proceed in isolated areas.

Initial works will commence on one of the seven accommodation blocks, with areas screened to minimise guest impact. During refurbishment, up to 85% of the accommodation and resort venues will continue to operate as usual and the project is expected to be finished mid-year, 2020.

The Sheraton Fiji Resort was established 30 years ago and is one of many Sheraton Resorts globally to undergo a transformation to align with our focus as The World’s Gathering Place.

Centered around the concept of community, the lobby environment has been reinvented to focus on bringing people together to create a meeting space for locals and travelers alike, to create a differentiated Fijian experience to connect and foster collaboration and friendships.

Curated food and beverage concepts, luxurious accommodation, interactive guest experiences, unique meeting venues and studios, the latest technology and best environmental practices are only a few of the amazing highlights. “When completed, Sheraton Fiji Resort will usher in a truly world-class, resort experience for our international and local guests”, explained Neeraj Chadha the Multi Property Vice President and General Manager for Marriott International Fiji and Samoa.

As we look forward to Sheraton Fiji’s transformation, our 4 additional leading resorts in Fiji continue to welcome guests. Sheraton Denarau Villas, The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island and our newest addition, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay on the Coral Coast offer 771 bedrooms, 16 restaurants and bars, 7 conference venues and a host of recreation facilities including the 18 hole Denarau golf and racquet club. Neeraj explained, “due to this great diversity, we continue to deliver exceptional guest experiences for leisure and conference guests through our 4 resorts”.

To our frequent and new visitors, our Marriott Bonvoy and Club Marriott members, we look forward to continuing to welcome you to our beautiful Fiji resorts and invite you on this exciting journey as the iconic Sheraton Fiji Resort transforms.

SPTO Media Release

SPTO member countries have convened and will convene national events to celebrate the 2019 China Pacific Tourism Year (CPTY) according to SPTO Chief Executive Officer, Chris Cocker.

These events include Food & Cultural Festivals, Chinese Tourism Symposium and tourism exhibitions. Mr. Cocker made the comment while addressing guests at the Opening Ceremony for China Tourism & Culture Week and Food Festival in Suva, Fiji this week.

Over the last five years, Chinese arrivals to the Pacific grew by an average of 13.36%, increasing from 88,708 in 2014 to 153,119 in 2015, the peak year, but declined to 125,347 in 2018, following the decline in Chinese arrivals to Palau the top destination for this market

However, in 2019 Chinese arrivals to Pacific is forecasted to rebound, with an expected increase in Chinese arrivals to other destinations such as Fiji, PNG, French Polynesia. The outlook for 2019 is positive, with Chinese arrivals to the Pacific is expected to increase by 4 %.

Meanwhile, the China Tourism & Culture Week and Food Festival included the China Food Festival (Huaiyang) Cuisine from Jiangsu Province of China, Folk Art Performances and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and Display from Ningxia Province, Tourism Photo Exhibition and Tourism Promotion from Ningxia Autonomous Region and Jiangsu Province and meetings between Ningxia Tourism officials with SPTO and Tourism Fiji.