 |
Tourism Fiji broadens Fiji’s appeal to Aussie backpacker market
22 November 2011 – Further demonstrating the travel opportunity the destination represents to the Australian backpacker market, Tourism Fiji and Fiji Independent Traveler Backpacker Association (FITBA) last week combined resources to host 55 Australian backpacker specialist travel agents. While in Fiji the agents visited a variety of areas on the main island of Viti Levu including Nadi, Rakiraki, the Pacific and Coral Coasts and also the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands where they were able to sample a host of activities geared to appeal to this key market segment. These included diving and snorkeling, sand boarding at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes, white water rafting, a Sigatoka Rover Safari, island day cruises, hot air ballooning and a traditional Fijian spa bath experience at the volcanic black mud springs at Sabeto near Nadi. A key component of the overall exercise was a trade day taking place at Smugglers Cove Beach Resort at Wailoaloa Beach, Nadi, where the agents were able to meet with a good number of specialised hoteliers and tour operators offering backpacker oriented product and services. Tourism Fiji regional director Australia, Paresh Pant, said the familiarisation, a first for the Australian market, was timely given the ever-growing numbers of Australian backpackers now visiting Fiji. “While we have always been a popular destination for backpackers, we have seen a definite increase in numbers from this segment in recent years, the figures for which have been exacerbated by the advent of low cost carrier services into the destination,” he said. “This event builds nicely on our recent activity at the three major backpacker oriented events taking place in Sydney last month – the Independent Travel Exchange, the annual Adventure & Backpacker Industry Conference and the Backpacker EXPO series.” |
PARTNER SITES
to top