Fiji’s tourism industry takes big hit

NADI – Fiji’s tourism industry has taken big hit following Cyclone Winston.

As the island nation begins the massive job of cleaning up the mess, its highest earner, tourism, has taken a significant blow.

One of the country’s biggest resort operators, Rosie Holidays’ Tony Whitton, told Radio New Zealand’s Dateline Pacific that there has already been a 30 to 40 per cent decline in bookings.

“People are rightfully questioning – ‘we have seen images of Fiji, homes being destroyed, we have seen powerlines fallen, some very sad stories. Can I trust that when I come there the beaches will be clear, the resorts will be fully functioning and that we are keeping to our side of being able to provide our contractual obligations to international visitors’.”

DATELINEPACIFIC: So there’s the physical thing, and then there is the perception, isn’t there, so what about the perception for visitors, do you think the industry is going to take a knock because these things hit headlines around the world.

“Absolutely. Obviously headlines like “the most severe tropical system that has ever been experienced in the southern hemisphere”.

“And then of course the main images that have been projected, settlements in urban areas and outer islands where they have experienced the brunt of this cyclone.

“But you know here in the main tourism areas, if you look at Denerau, the coral coast, all those resorts were fully operational during the cyclone and continue to be fully operational now.

“And if you look at the outer islands, Mamanuca, where there is a significant number of resorts, I would say 60 to 70 per cent of those resorts are open even as we speak now, with perhaps another 20 per cent open in about a week to 10 days time.

“I am from Fiji so we have all grown up with cyclones. And depending on the extent, some come and go, bring showers, some bring a bit of flooding. This one was different.

“It’s interesting, we compare Winston to the last significant cyclone that hit the west and that was Cyclone Evan.

“At least from a tourism perspective – where the majority of the tourism infrastructure is in the coral coast, Denerau, the outer islands and the Yasawas – the impact of Cyclone Winston has not been as severe as Cyclone Evan, again that is purely from a tourism infrastructure perspective.

DATELINE PACIFIC: Just to sum up - what is your message to tourists who have planned a visit to Fiji?

“When a resort makes a commitment that it is operational and open, it really is operational and open. We are an industry now that we have to have integrity and we have to maintain our promise.

“We appreciate all the aid that the New Zealand government is providing, we are very grateful for that, thank you, but another way that you can support Fiji is to keep our foreign exchange earnings coming, which are so vital to our island nations.”

- Dateline Pacific