December 11, 2010

Pacer Plus deepens integration

Fiji Sun News - 11 December 2010
Pacer Plus recognises the importance of deepening regional trade integration, it was claimed in Nadi yesterday.



Vanuatu-based chief trade adviser Dr Chris Noon, on giving an update on Pacer Plus consultations and negotiations, said the Forum Trade Ministers meeting in June 2009 recommended to leaders that PACER Plus negotiations should commence.


“Legal and practical questions follow from the exclusion of Fiji from PACER Plus negotiations,” Dr Noon said.
PACER Plus is the most important economic agreement the Forum Island Countries will negotiate this decade.


He was speaking during the Second Pacific Island Business Forum held at the Sofitel Resort and Spa, in Nadi yesterday.
It is affirmed that PACER Plus provides the Pacific region with a significant opportunity to develop a truly innovative trade and economic agreement that takes account of the different stages of development of each nation.


He stressed the importance of progressing PACER Plus as a means to underpin the economic security of the region through capacity-building and market-liberalisation


“National studies and consultations that are underway show that the level of preparedness varies among Forum Island Countries,” he said.


The first PACER Plus negotiation meeting in April this year was based on general discussions of priority issues.
He said Forum Trade Ministers Meeting in April:

November 30, 2010

Week-long Party for 400 Aussie Schoolies


by Felix Chaudhary

Tuesday, November 30, 2010
CLOSE to 400 schoolies arrived from Australia on Sunday and headed straight for Plantation Island Resort on Malololailai Island รน undeterred by the threat of a cyclone.
Waiting for their ride at Denarau Marina, the squally weather conditions did nothing to dampen their spirits. They are here to party and are detemined to have a raging good time come rain, hail or storm.
"This is an adventure, we don't care it's raining or if a cyclone comes, we're just glad to be here and are looking forward to getting on the island and having some fun," was the common mantra.
Schoolies is an annual event where graduating Australian high school students spend up to a week having supervised fun together.
Plantation Island Resort general manager Daven Sharma said his staff had been preparing for the week-long event for a while and extra security had been arranged to ensure the safety and security of all the students.
"The resort is locked down for the coming week- they literally have the whole resort to themselves. While they are accompanied by chaperones, we have also brought additional security on the island to ensure they have a great and safe holiday," he said.
The group leaves this weekend as another 400 will descend onto Plantation for their partying.
"We are ready for them," Mr Sharma said.

November 27, 2010

Fiji's Ecosystem Worth $973m

by Monika Singh

FIJI TIMES - Saturday, November 27, 2010
FIJI's ecosystem was worth $973million in 1994, contributing about 42 per cent of the 1994 Gross Domestic Product of $2312m.
This figure could have increased over the years according to the Department of Environment national co-ordinator for the National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan, Rahul Chand
Mr Chand made a presentation on the valuationof Fiji's natural assets for the action plan at the Eco Health Forum on Thursday.
He said it was easy to make people realise the importance of the ecosystem with an economic value placed on the ecosystem.
"We should realise that all ecosystems are at a threat of pollution and we must do our part to protect it," he said.
He said action plan was put together to look at implementation strategies to protect biodiversity.
He said Fiji signed up to protect its biodiversity at the Earth Summit in 1992 but it was not implemented.
According to Mr Chand Fiji signed Article 6 at the Earth Summit which required countries to develop national strategies and action plan for biodiversity.
He said some of the major natural eco-systems included the open sea, coral reefs and the mangroves and fresh water ecosystem.
Mr Chand said people did not realise the importance of ecosystem because there was no monetary value attached to it.
He said they undertook a survey of the natural ecosystem in 1994 and came up with the monetary value of the ecosystem for the purpose of the action plan.
"The department does not have the latest statistics on the monetary value of the ecosystem but we are sure it has increased from what we had recorded in 1994," he said.

November 3, 2010

Fiji Me Experience - Taste of Fiji

‘Fiji Me’ – The Fiji Experience

Fiji, blessed with 333 magnificent islands, some inhabited, most not. We are a land where there is still room to move. Set in the tropical South Pacific, Fiji is surely the essence of a tropical island paradise. White sandy beaches, swaying coconut trees, pristine oceans and waterways and a range of things to do and see that will appeal to the most discerning traveler.

But we are so much more than that.

Revel in our 5-star resorts, stroll on our glimmering white beaches hand-in-hand at sunset, snorkel, dive, surf or kayak our pristine oceans, whitewater raft our clear and clean waterways, cruise the ocean around our mainland and outer islands, trek our rainforests, backpack the outer islands, visit our welcoming villages and experience sustainable living or immerse yourself in our unique culture and history.

And then there’s our most precious asset - smiling, generous, relaxed Fijians who greet you and everyone they meet with our famous and welcoming ‘Bula’.
 
 
 
 
Fiji Excelence Tourism Awards
Allow us to ‘Pamper’ you. Relax by the pool with a G & T and swap holiday stories with your fellow guests, or ‘shop till you drop’ in a wide variety of outlets catering for all budgets. Indulge in a massage that soothes the soul and rejuvenates the body before fine wining and dining. Then it’s another difficult decision - retire after a hard day or hit one of our night spots to dance the night away. It’s your experience, your choice.

Fiji is ‘Romance’. Allow us to make your wedding and honeymoon a memorable experience. With everything taken care of by professionals all you have to do is be there. Fiji has a wedding setting just for you - on the beach, in a rainforest, in a garden of orchids, in a village, on a mountain or in a traditional chapel. All unique in stunning settings creating treasured memories for a lifetime.

Fiji is ‘Sustainable’ eco-tourism. Stay in one of our many eco-resorts, lodges, backpackers or a village homestay. Trek, swim or birdwatch in our National Parks and Reserves. Observe our ladies creating mats, masi (tapa) hats, fans and baskets from natural materials. See pottery made the traditional way or attend a talanoa session (storytelling) about history, legends and traditional local medicines. A visit to Fiji is not complete without a traditional kava session and our mekes (traditional song and dance), are a cultural feast.

Like your Fiji ‘Experience’ a little racier? Trek mountain trails culminating in a swim under a waterfall. Visit caves and listen to traditional stories of great chiefs and tribal wars. Backpack our outer islands or step it up a notch and white water raft our pristine rivers or surf our world famous waves.

Get your adrenalin pumping and let the only hot air balloon flight in the South Pacific take your breath away at the stunning views over Fiji. Get adventurous with parasailing and the hugely popular jet ski safari’s. Or jump on a fast jet boat ride and hold on while it sets you into 360-degree spins. Awesome!

So you like to ‘Cruise’! Our islands are a cruising enthusiast’s wonderland. Whether you’re a yachtie or a cruise liner passenger, this is a great way to taste everything that is Fiji. We have great marinas and if you’re on one of those magnificent luxury cruisers, be our guest and step ashore for a while to get to know us and our lifestyle.

We have ‘Diving’ experiences extraordinaire. Shore dive, night dive, resort dive, wreck dive or cave dive. Do it yourself or go with the professionals at luxury resorts, eco-friendly outlets, backpackers or fabulous liveaboards.
Fiji is renowned as “The Soft Coral Capital of the World” and is also home to the “Great Astrolabe Reef”. Feel the goose-bumps as you experience shark feeding or dive the light fantastic and swim with the giant mantas. Our moderate water temperature makes for year-round diving and the visibility is a photographers dream. With over 4000 square miles of coral reef, Fiji offers divers unparalleled marine biodiversity.

Fiji is a Mecca for all dreamers, adventurers, fun seekers, lovers, divers, backpackers, families, naturalists and anyone else who is looking for their very own tropical experience of a lifetime. In Fiji we have something for everyone.

Do it all or nothing at all. Live your Fiji experience –don’t just imagine it.

FijiMe Tourism Website Calculated

Fiji Tourism authorities rely a great deal on online promotion and campaigns as marketing tools. Its premium website www.fijime.com serves this purpose. Out of interest, below is an analysis of the reach and effectiveness of the site as calculated by websiteoutlook.com

fijime.com Overview

fijime.com has 349156 traffic rank in world by alexa. fijime.com is getting 3150 pageviews per day and making USD 11.9 daily. fijime.com has 3366 backlinks according to yahoo and currently not listed in Dmoz directory. fijime.com is hosted in United States at Abacus America data center. fijime.com is most populer in UNITED STATES. Estimeted worth of fijime.com is USD 8687 according to websiteoutlook.

Estimated Data

TitleFiji Islands Travel Guide | Tourism Fiji | Home
DescriptionFiji Islands Tourism official web site: Fiji Islands travel information including Fiji vacation, Fiji tourism, Fiji maps, Fiji accommodations, Fiji resorts and Fiji activities.
Daily Pageview3150
Daily Ads Revenue$11.9

Index Data

Traffic Rank 349156
PageRank 6
Backlinks 3366
Dmoz CategoriesCurrently Not Listed in Dmoz

Traffic Data

fijime.com Traffic History
Time RangeTraffic RankReach RankReach PerMillionPageViews RankPageViews PerMillionPageViews PerUser
 3 Months 349156 354150  4.2 415768  0.13  3.1
 1 Months 318260 327559  4.7 377657  0.15  3.2
 7 Days 417142 393511  4 593937  0.09  2.2
alexa rank graphalexa


Server Information

Hosting ISP : Abacus America
Server Ip : 69.64.73.85 

Server Location : San Diego, California, 92121, United StatesLatitude: 32.9014015198
Longitude: -117.207901001



Country%UserRank
usUNITED STATES 24.1% 242830
fjFIJI 20.7% 70
auAUSTRALIA 7.5% 54072
nzNEW ZEALAND 3.5% 15797
oOTHER 44.3%

NEW BENCHMARK FOR JULY VISITOR ARRIVALS

The Fiji Tourism Newsletter for October again highlighted the growing number of tourists visiting Fiji. It again reports an increase from past years for the same period and there appears to be great confidence that new records will be set. No doubt Fiji's favourable exchange rate and attractive holiday packages at discount prices are contributing to these surge in numbers.

As well, aggressive and concerted promotion campaigns, and partnerships in key markets as well as new ones have also contributed.

There appears to be optimism that this trend will continue well into the future. See below the stories from the Newsletter.

FijiMe newsletter October 2010
 
FIJI SETS NEW BENCHMARK FOR JULY VISITOR ARRIVALS
Maintaining what is shaping up to be Fiji tourism’s best ever year for international visitation, the destination has set a new four-year record for visitor arrivals for a month of July.

Figures released by Fiji’s Bureau of Statistics show the destination welcomed more than 66,500 visitors across the month, the result eclipsing the best ever July record set in 2006 – 59,645 - by more than 11 per cent.

The strong performance takes Fiji’s total visitor arrivals for the seven month period January to July to 339,056.

This in itself represents a 19 per cent increase over the 283,560 total achieved in 2009.

The 29,436 Australian total recorded for the month represented a 19 per cent increase on the 24,729 figure achieved for the same period in 2009.

New Zealand visitor intake again showed positive growth with a total of 13,949 Kiwis visiting across the month, that figure representing a 5.8 per cent growth over the 13,181 achieved for the same month in 2009.

US figures increased by five per cent while Canadian visitor arrivals showed positive growth for the first time this year with numbers increasing by five per cent.

Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto again pointed to the national tourist office and industry partners’ ongoing efforts to build Fiji’s profile in key emerging markets.

These, he said, were evidently paying off given visitor arrivals from China achieved a massive 149 per cent increase.

Taiwan business too grew by 45 per cent while visitor arrivals from India climbed by 15 per cent.

Traffic from the UK/Europe, he said, remained steady and stayed positive with a 0.7 per cent increase in traffic.

Mr Tuamoto said the destination was bracing itself for a very strong result from the region in August, the traditional holiday and travel month for much of the northern hemisphere.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Manager Fiji, Ms Fane Vave at fvave@tourismfiji.com.fj or Marketing Officer, Mr Iowane Naivalurua at inaivalurua@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
TOURISM FIJI APPOINTS GLOBAL DESTINATIONS AS INDIAN REPRESENTATIVE
Tourism Fiji has announced the appointment of Global Destinations as its representative in India.

Announcing the move, Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto said a main focus for company would be to promote ‘Destination Fiji’ within India, this assisting in helping to grow the leisure and MICE segment.

Global Destinations, he said, will also play a key role in helping to promote the Fiji Matai specialist program and support the travel trade via workshops and advertising campaigns.

With more than 25 years experience Global Destinations is high profile within the Indian travel trade and is seen to provide a good fit for the national tourist office’s aspirations in this important emerging market.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Services Manager, Ms Adeline Lee-Erasito atalee@tourismfiji.com.fj or Marketing Officer, Mr. Kiniviliame Raicebe at kraicebe@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
TOURISM FIJI ENGAGES FIJI INDUSTRY WITH WEDDING WORKSHOP
Part of an ongoing program to promote the benefits of the international wedding and honeymoon market to local partners Tourism Fiji recently organised a consultation workshop at the Novotel Nadi.

Key guests at the event were from the Registrar General’s office and Foreign Affairs who were on hand to assist the national tourist office with the workshop.

Officially opening the event, Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto said the wedding/honeymoon market now represented one of the biggest sources of visitor arrivals for Fiji and it was critical that all components of the industry were working from the same page in order to fully benefit from this lucrative market source.

The main thrust of the program was both to ensure the local industry is working collectively in capturing this key market segment while at the same time ensuring everyone is fully aware of the actual wedding requirement and its processes within Fiji.

The workshop also served as an opportunity for the wedding industry to put in place a framework to identify and streamline the marriage documentation process while developing stronger working relationships with officials and industry counterparts.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Officer, Ms Inise Mucunabitu atimucunabitu@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
TOURISM FIJI ‘MILKS’ SOUTH KOREAN MARKET POTENTIAL
TOURISM FIJI โ€˜MILKSโ€™ SOUTH KOREAN MARKET POTENTIAL In what represents one of its biggest ever Fiji tourism marketing initiatives in the South Korean market to date, millions of South Koreans are now being exposed to the ‘Fiji message’ via a high profile promotional campaign.

The initiative is all part of a collaboration between the national tourist office and South Korea’s biggest dairy product company, Naming Milk & Beverage, which together have combined in a ‘Fiji fresh Expedition’ promotion to send a group of seven lucky winners – plus a national TV film crew – to sample the delights of a Fiji travel experience.

While in Fiji the group of seven winners took part in a host of activities all of which were designed to showcase Fiji’s ability to deliver a true and exciting holiday experience to every type of traveler – irrespective of taste or budget – with everything the group did captured by the two-man SBS (Korea) film crew.

These activities included a visit to Viseisei Village, the Sabeto mud pools and the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a Jetboat experience with Adrenalin Fiji, a mini dive course with Aqua Trek Mana at Mana Island Resort, island sightseeing with Demar Charters, a swim/snorkel exploration of Monuriki Island, an MV ‘Sea Spray’ cruise, a shark dive with Aqua Trek Beqa and Zipline Fiji.

Other included a visit to the Arts Village Pacific Harbour to sample Fiji’s unique living culture first hand and a Naihehe Cave Tour at Sautabu village.

The promotion has also been featured across 120 South Korean media outlets including the popular Chosun, Dong-A, Joong-Ang, Women JoongAng and Women Chosun.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Services Manager, Ms Adeline Lee-Erasito atalee@tourismfiji.com.fj or Marketing Officer, Ms Tupou Moe’ofo at tmoeofo@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
FIJI TOURISM TEAM ATTENDS THREE KEY GUAM TRAVEL EVENTS
Tourism Fiji in conjunction with Continental Airlines and local industry partners have driven the Fiji message home at three key travel events taking place in Guam this month.

Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto said the decision to send the team to Guam was fully justified by the potential Continental Airlines’ services to Nadi via Guam offer to Fiji tourism.

This potential, he said, stemmed from both the huge number of resident US Army and Navy personnel resident there as well as in the key US and Japanese markets which the airline services via its Guam and Hawaii connections.

The national tourist office was joined in the exercise by Captain Cook Cruises and the Radisson Fiji Resort Denarau Island at the three events.

These included the 4th ‘Around the World at a Glance’ Travel Fair which is aimed squarely at the hundred thousands of US Navy personnel and their families.

This event was followed by the ‘2010 Annual Andersen Travel Fair’ which targets the large numbers of resident US Army personnel.

The Fiji tourism team also waved the Fiji flag at the ‘Guam Micronesian Island Fair’ Adding a musical element to the visit, the team was joined by Fiji’s internationally-renowned guitarist and singer Jale Mareau who has taken time out from his busy schedule to help spread the Fiji message and entertain the large crowds expected to attend all three events.

Mr Tuamoto said it was very important for Fiji to be as visible as possible at all three events given the evidence that visitor arrivals from both the US and Japanese markets had seen improvement since the commencement of Continental Airlines’ direct services.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Services Manager, Ms Adeline Lee-Erasito atalee@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
EUROPE FIJI ‘BULA BUS’
Bula BusTurning plenty of heads and making a colourful impression on central European freeways, Tourism Fiji and industry partners jumped aboard a brightly decorated ‘Bula Bus’ complete with Fijian chef and serenaders this month to spread the ‘Bula’ spirit across Germany and the Czech Republic.

Blitzing Munich, Erfurt, Dresden, Berlin and the Czech capital Prague over a three-day period, Tourism Fiji was joined on board the bus by several of its Fiji-based industry colleagues.

These include Air Pacific, South Sea Cruises, Musket Cove Resort & Spa, Mana Island Resort & Spa, Sonaisali Island Resort, Blue Lagoon Cruises and Captain Cook Cruises.

The main thrust of the exercise was to develop new relationships with key travel sellers in both countries while at the same time updating the local industry on the huge number of progressive changes the destination has made in the last year.

The ‘Bula Bus’ tour also gave the opportunity for local travel agents to sample the latest developments on Fiji’s ever-changing food scene.

This was thanks to live cooking demonstrations provided by the on-board chef who cooked for guests while they were serenaded by Fijian musicians and singers.

The ‘Bula Bus’ tour also provided Tourism Fiji with an opportunity to recruit new Fiji Matai specialist agents as part of a Matai Academy running from 24-26 September in Berlin, Germany.

Tourism Fiji CEO Josefa Tuamoto said the ‘Bula Bus’ tour was particularly timely given the recent increase in traffic from Europe which once again is beginning to show growth – up 2.46 per cent to 42,694 for the period January to July 2010.

Attributing this increase to the region’s slow but steady recovery from the Global financial crisis, Mr Tuamoto said the result was indicative of the impact Tourism Fiji’s marketing strategy is having across Europe in conjunction with ongoing strong support from its industry colleagues.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Senior Marketing Officer, Mr Thomas Valentine attvalentine@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
OUR PACIFIC’S LESLEY SEIULI EARNS TF MATAI INCENTIVE PRIZE
TF-NZ-Matai-winner-Leslie-SeiuliMaking 27 Fiji bookings for 59 clients across September has earned Our Pacific’s Lesley Seiuli a $100 Westfield shopping voucher from Tourism Fiji and the opportunity to win a seven-night Fiji holiday.

The voucher and Fiji holiday prize are part of the national tourist office’s ongoing Fiji Matai specialist agents' sales incentive which concludes at the end of October.

The winner of the grand prize - return airfares for two ex-Auckland, two nights at Musket Cove Island Resort & Marina Fiji, two nights at the Sheraton Fiji Resort & three nights at the Outrigger on the Lagoon - will be announced during the first week of November
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji New Zealand Information Officer, Mr Esava Nadalo at info@tourismfijinz.com
 
 
TOURISM FIJI OZ AMAZING ADVENTURE TRADE DAY
Tourism Fiji Australia in cooperation with Air Pacific and its Australian wholesaler partners is staging a ‘Mega Educational’ for over 90 industry staffers in Fiji from 18 – 26 November 2010.

The aim of the event is to further build destination awareness among the Australian retail, trade and media.

Giving local partners the opportunity to become involved in the event, a key component of the overall exercise will be a trade day scheduled for 23 November when local industry representatives will have an opportunity to meet with the visiting agents.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Senior Marketing Officer, Mr Thomas Valentine attvalentine@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
AON FIJI EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The 14th annual AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards will take place on 25 February 2011 at the Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa.

More than 350 industry representatives and their guests are expected to attend the event, features of which will be a three-course dinner and live entertainment.

The 2011 event will feature two new awards – ‘Wine Waiter of the Year’ and ‘Barista of the Year’ – competition for which will take place at the Naviti Resort on 26 and 27 February 2011.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Officer and Aon Fiji Excellence Tourism Awards Secretariat, Ms Kelly Eastgate at keastgate@tourismfiji.com.fj
 
 
TOURISM FIJI’S UPCOMING EVENTS:
Event
Dates
Contacts
New Zealand Matai Family
13 – 21 November 2010
Marketing Officer – Ms Kelly Eastgatekeastgate@tourismfiji.com.fj
Australia Mega Famil 2010
18 – 26 November 2010
Marketing Officer, Mr Iowane Naivalurua
inaivalurua@tourismfiji.com.fj
USA Matai Family
30th November – 7th December 2010
Regional Marketing Officer, Ms Sera Cawanibuka
Sera@TourismFijiUS.com
World Travel Mart
08 – 11 November 2010
Marketing Officer – Ms Kelly Eastgatekeastgate@tourismfiji.com.fj
Sydney Adventure Travel & Backpacker Expo
06 – 07 November 2010
Marketing officer – Ms Kesaia Marau
kmarau@tourismfiji.com.fj
China International Travel Mart (CITM)
18 – 21 November 2010
Marketing Officer – Mr Kiniviliame Raicebe
kraicebe@tourismfiji.com.fj
Industry Day
09th December
Vasemaca Driso - vrakabu@tourismfiji.com.fj

 
 Industry News
THANKING YOU KINDLY - SHANGRI-LA ‘S THE FIJIAN TO STAR IN TOP RATING AUSTRALIAN TV SHOW
THANKING YOU KINDLY - SHANGRI-LA โ€˜S THE FIJIAN TO STAR IN TOP
RATING AUSTRALIAN TV SHOWShangri-La’s The Fijian Resort and Spa will form a spectacular backdrop for one of Australia’s highest rating national TV shows, ‘Random Acts of Kindness’, when it goes to air nationally on 14 November.

The program centers on a well deserving couple being rewarded for their good deeds to others, in the community by being given the opportunity to get married in a tropical luxury paradise - Fiji.

Tourism Fiji Regional Director Australia Paresh Pant said the program provided a huge opportunity to showcase the expertise of Fiji’s renowned resort wedding capability.

“The kindness factor too fits in extremely well with the nature of the Fijian people who are renowned the world over for their kindness and generosity,” he said.

Launched in 2009 the program is an ongoing hit and regularly attracts an Australian audience in excess of 1.4 million.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Regional Director Australia, Mr Paresh Pant atppant@tourismfijioz.com
 
 
TAVEUNI PALMS LIFTS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INDUSTRY ‘OSCAR’ IN DELHI
Fiji’s Taveuni Palms Resort has been named as Australasia’s leading boutique resort at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2010 in Delhi, the event known as the ‘Oscars’ of world travel.

The award represents massive recognition for the resort with more than 185,000 industry professionals participating in the 2010 voting process which polled airlines, tourism associations, cruise lines, hotels and resorts located in 166 countries across seven continents.

The event also represented a benchmark occasion for Vatulele Island Resort which was named as Fiji’s leading resort for the second time since 2007.

The title for Fiji’s leading spa resort went to Namale Resort & Spa while the Intercontinental Golf Resort & Spa was recognised as Fiji’s leading golf resort.

Established 17 years ago, the World Travel Awards are committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international travel and hospitality industry.

The awards have been described as the ‘Oscars’ of travel by the renowned Wall Street Journal.

Winners of the Australasia regional ceremony will now go on to compete in the World Travel Awards 2010 Grand Final in London which takes place immediately before the World Travel Market kicks off on Sunday, 07 November.

For further information, contact the following persons:

 
 
TOURISM HOLDINGS SELLS FIJI ASSETS
Tourism Holdings has agreed to sell its transport and tourism businesses in Fiji to local interests.

The company’s Tourist Transport (Fiji) Ltd and Feejee Experience units are to be merged with a local company called Coral Sun (Fiji) Ltd, creating the island nation’s largest tourist transportation operator, it said in a statement.

Tourism Holdings’ 2009 annual report said the Fiji businesses were operating in a "difficult" environment after recent political issues and the January 2009 flood recovery."

However, according to senior management, following a resurgence in business, Tourism Holdings had achieved a solid 2009-2010 in local currency terms with 2010-2011 on track for further gains.
The sale is expected to settle at the end of the month with shares of Tourism Holdings holding unchanged at 80 cents.
 
 
SOFITEL FIJI RESORT & SPA SPONSOR INAUGURAL JUNIOR ART CHALLENGE AND AUCTION
SOFITEL FIJI RESORT & SPA SPONSOR INAUGURAL JUNIOR ART CHALLENGE AND
AUCTIONSofitel Fiji Resort & Spa recently staged an inaugural art auction and cocktail event as part of its sponsorship of the Sofitel Junior Art Challenge in aid of the ‘Cure Kids Fiji’ children’s charity.

Nine primary and secondary schools were selected from the Nadi district to participate in the event, the results of which were showcased alongside CreatiVITI’s main exhibition as part of the ‘Art on the island V’ festival held at the Denarau island resort.

A flagship cultural event, the ‘Art on the island V’ festival involves over thirty professional and emerging artists from around Fiji and this year featured a junior section featuring mural paintings by school children complementing a colourful display of over one hundred original works of art by CreatiVITI artists.

CreatiVITI is a membership-based organisation representing artists from across Fiji and home to Fiji's only pottery production studio, with showroom, mini-gallery and a crafts garden hosting demonstrations and classes.

The organisation specialises in custom ceramic commissions and promoting local artists paintings, pottery, drawings, sculpture, handicrafts, pottery classes CreatiVITI also runs kids craft activities, seasonal craft markets in addition to its annual art competition.
 
 
SONAISALI BEEFS UP DINING OPPORTUNITIES
SONAISALI BEEFS UP DINING OPPORTUNITIESSonaisali Island Resort has introduced a new dining outlet – The Poolside Grill.

Located on the white sandy area next to the ever popular Pool Bar, the Poolside Grill offers guests an alternate dining venue for lunch and dinner on a daily basis.

Managing Director, Aaron McGrath said the Poolside Grill offered the resort’s guests a more ‘al fresco’ and casual environment than its three other restaurants.
For further information, please contact Sonaisali’s Sales & Marketing Manager, Ms Karyn Blenkiron at sales@sonaisali.com
 
 
TOKORIKI ISLAND RESORT FIRES UP HOTSPOTS
While TV’s, clocks and telephones are nowhere to be found in Tokoriki Island Resort’s room and bures, the resort now boasts a Wi-Fi hotspot for those who need to keep in touch with the outside world.

The hotspots are located in the guest lounge, bar and pool area.
For further information, please contact Tokoriki Island Resort’s Director of Marketing, Ms Marina Musumeci atmarketing@tokoriki.com
 
 
NEW DIVE OPERATOR
Safari Island Lodge has announced the opening of its new dive operation - Nananu-I-Ra Island RAKIRAKI.

Targeting Bligh Waters + Vatu-I-Ra Passage as its main areas, the operation can cater for up to 24 Divers with 80 Tanks available on two dive boats.
For further information, please contact Mr Warren Francis at warren@safarilodge.com.fj
 
 
OUTRIGGER DEVELOPS OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTHCAPTAIN COOK CRUISES LAUNCH NEW FIJI COCKTAIL CRUISE
Captain Cook Cruises is offering a new Fiji Twilight Cocktail Cruise program departing from Denarau on board its luxurious catamaran ‘Fiji One’.
For further information, please contact Captain Cook Cruises atnadi@captaincookcruises.com
 
 
VATULELE ISLAND RESORT LIFTS TRAVEL INDUSTRY ‘OSCAR’
VATULELE ISLAND RESORT LIFTS TRAVEL INDUSTRY OSCARFor the second time in three years Vatulele Island Resort has been named Fiji’s leading resort at the 2010 World Travel Awards.

This is the second time the resort has lifted the prize having been named Fiji’s number one resort in 2007.

More than 185,000 industry professionals participated In the 2010 voting process which involved hotels and resorts located in 166 countries across seven continents.
For further information, please contact World Resorts of Distinction at admin@wrd.com.au or visit www.vatulele.com
 
 
2010 ANZ SPONSORED NADI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT STAKEHOLDERS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
The 2010 Nadi International Airport Stakeholders Volleyball Tournament will take place on Friday, 05 November at Nadi’s AFL grounds.

More than 120 teams are expected to participate in the event which this year will be based on a ‘Sharing the Bula Spirit’ theme.

Established in 2004 to foster relationships and goodwill among the many organisations working at the airport, this year’s event is again being sponsored by ANZ and will feature three events – men’s, women’s and mixed teams.
For further information, please contact NIAS President Mr Joe Gray at joeg@afl.com.fj
 
 
FIJI TO HOST 2011 NOMURA CUP
Fiji will host the 2011 Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) team championship, The Nomura Cup, from 16-19 August 2011, in the process becoming the first South Pacific island nation to stage the prestigious event.

A total of 14 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Cook Islands, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan and Thailand will contest the trophy next year.

Venues for the event will be Denarau Island and the Vijay Singh-0designed Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course marking the first time the event has been played across different links in its 48-year history.
Announcing its decision to stage the event in Fiji, the world governing body of Golf, Royal & Ancient of Scotland (R&A) said the development of Natadola Bay and the Denarau golf courses and the increased interest in golf in the destination had been a catalyst for the decision to stage the event in Fiji.
 
 
LIKULIKU COOKS UP A STORM WITH AUSTRALIAN CELEBRITY CHEF
Peter GilmoreGuests staying at Likuliku Lagoon Resort were recently treated to a culinary surprise when Australian celebrity chef Peter Gilmore visited the resort to host a special weekend of dinners and master classes.

Gilmore is the owner of high profile Sydney restaurant Quay which is listed in the number 27 spot on the San Pellegrino ‘World’s best 50 best restaurants’ list.

While at Likuliku Gilmore and his team used the freshest of local ingredients including freshly caught tuna provided by local fishermen just two hours before guests were due to sit down to dinner.

The resort has a strong connection to the Australian master chef, one of Gilmore’s former Sydney-based staff Chloe Kryskow now working at Likuliku.
For more information visit www.likulikulagoon.com
 
 
HOT FOOTING IT ON BOUNTY ISLAND
Bounty IslandBounty Island has launched a ticket-to-the-past cultural experience featuring the Mamanuca Island group’s first firewalking display.

The resort’s new cultural program - offered every Wednesday and Saturday - showcases the Firewalkers of Beqa, legendary for their ability to walk on white hot stones. Visitors also experience natural herbal medicines, indigenous dance, wood carving and traditional weaving as part of the cultural experience.

Much of the cultural experience is provided by Bounty Island’s Nakelo landowners, the direct descendants of the first Fijians.

The program is open to guests from all island resorts and all hotels on the mainland, as well as cruise ship passengers who often have limited free time to experience the local Fijian culture.
More information visit www.fiji-bounty.com
 
 
PRIME MINISTER’S EXPORTER AWARDS
An annual event organised by the Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau (FTIB) to acknowledge and salute the achievements of Fiji ‘s exporters in the global trade arena and their contribution to the local economy, the Prime Minister’s ‘Exporter of the Year‘ Awards and gala dinner will be held at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Saturday, 20 November 2010.
For further information, please contact the FTIB or visit www.ftib.org.fj