MFAT Lowers Fiji Travel Advisories

MFAT Lowers Fiji Travel Advisories, Marketing New Discounts Begins

New Zealand’s largest travel retailer will again market travel to Fiji, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) lowered its travel advisories to all areas of Fiji apart from the capital, Suva.

Earlier today MFAT changed its classification of post coup Fiji - outside of Suva - to ‘some risk’, down from ‘increasing risk’. This is the same classification as the US and UK (see www.safetravel.govt.nz).

From Boxing Day, Fijian resorts will be offering up to 50 percent off standard accommodation rates for new bookings, while airlines servicing Fiji from New Zealand are set to introduce discounted airfares, something that the travel industry would now be far more likely to market.

Flight Centre general manager Rick Hamilton said the move by the retailer to market the destination was due solely to the change in Foreign Ministry recommendations, and a positive development for the Fiji tourism industry.

“As the take over has been non-violent, it seems the tourism industry will bounce back much faster than in 2000.”

Mr Hamilton said the new deals were the best since 2000, and many New Zealanders were already looking to take advantage of them.

“Cancellations rates have dropped to less than 10 percent for Fiji now, and forward bookings are looking stronger, so we are feeling pretty positive about Fiji’s future now.”

The soon-to-be released deals were being supported by Fiji’s newly re-established Tourism Action Group, which was active in rebuilding the post-coup tourism industry in 2000.

ENDS

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