Tourism Fiji’s new CEO, Brent Hill — who’s been on the job just three months now — isn’t trying to hide his excitement about the destination’s plan to welcome back vaccinated Americans and other international visitors Dec. 1.
“We all just can’t wait,” Hill said with a bright smile during a recent Zoom interview, “because it means everything.”
Home to 333 islands and just under 890,000 residents, Fiji has been closed to international tourists since March 2020, a policy that has certainly saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has also taken a devastating toll on the South Pacific nation’s critical visitor industry.
“You're talking about 150,000 people who normally are directly employed in tourism,” Hill said. “120,000 of those people lost their jobs. … And when I moved here three months ago, pretty much the only places doing business were food shops and phone shops, so the effect throughout Fiji was just absolutely enormous.”
Hill noted that in recent weeks, however, the reboot of domestic tourism has really jumpstarted Fiji’s economy, enabling many resorts, restaurants and businesses to reopen.
“We just had a long weekend here, and it was cranking,” Hill said from Tourism Fiji’s offices in Nadi. “It was really busy.”
More than 85% of Fiji’s eligible residents are now fully inoculated against COVID-19, according to Hill, who said that the country’s impressive vaccination percentage played an important role in the destination’s decision to start welcoming international travelers back Dec. 1.
U.S. travelers planning to visit will need to be fully vaccinated, Hill said, and they will also need to provide proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure. Visitors to Fiji must also take a rapid COVID-19 test 48 hours after their arrival in the islands at their resort.
Unvaccinated children under 18, meanwhile, can travel to Fiji as long as they are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult, according to the Tourism Fiji website.
What to Know About Booking Fiji Trips
Tourism Fiji announced its Dec. 1 reopening plan on Oct. 10, and Hill said he’s already been hearing a great deal of positive feedback from partners about bookings to the destination.
“Bookings directly with Fiji Airways have been really strong,” he said, noting the carrier has committed to restoring 84% of its 2019 seat capacity on Dec. 1 this year. “We’re seeing really good interest in areas like dive, weddings, engagements, MICE. … That gives me reason for optimism.”
Melissa Pomeroy, the owner of Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Fiji Vacations, has already booked trips for a number clients who wanted to fly in on Dec. 1.
“Our phones are really busy with all of our repeat customers,” said Pomeroy, who noted not all of Fiji’s resorts will be open Dec. 1 and some don’t plan to reopen until spring of next year.
We’re already having a really tough time finding availability over Christmas even this far out, which is not abnormal. But considering they just announced the opening, I’m a little surprised.
“Availability has been very tough,” she said. “They’ve opened up Australia’s borders as well, and for the Aussies, Fiji is their Hawaii. They come to fly and flop, and they can flood the destination and fill up rooms. We’re already having a really tough time finding availability over Christmas even this far out, which is not abnormal. But considering they just announced the opening, I’m a little surprised.”
Steve Macknight, a San Diego-based travel advisor for Perfect Honeymoons, said he’s also been talking frequently with repeat customers about Fiji vacations for next year since the reopen announcement, but he hasn’t yet booked any new business.
Fiji has already seen a significant number of dive vacation bookings since its reopening was announced, according to tourism officials.
Credit: 2021 Tourism Fiji“I haven’t had a call out of the blue yet from someone saying, ‘Hey, I heard Fiji is open,’” Macknight explained, saying his agency was thrilled to have the destination reopening. “But we will certainly start to send people there as soon as we can.”
Hill noted that North America is typically Fiji’s third-largest source market behind Australia and New Zealand, and in 2019, the destination welcomed more than 96,000 U.S. travelers.
“We would love to get to around 23,000 or 25,000 by the end of July 2022,” he added, saying Fiji Airways will resume nonstop flights to Nadi from Los Angeles and three-times-weekly service from San Francisco Dec. 1.
Matai Specialist Travel Advisor Training Program Overhauled
Tourism Fiji’s North America regional director Ruth Daly said a new version of the Matai Specialist travel advisor training program will launch in January of next year, featuring a great deal of new product and destination content, as well as comprehensive details about Fiji’s COVID-19 safety protocols.
“While we’ve been shut down, we’ve been working hard on getting that updated,” Daly said, adding that Tourism Fiji also has several new webinars for advisors planned for the coming months.
Tourism Fiji CEO Hill was also quick to encourage advisors to familiarize themselves with the upgraded Matai Specialist content.
“Two years is a long time,” he said. “A lot of things have changed — obviously for the better. There's actually a lot that’s really been improved here.”
Fiji Eyes Family Travelers, Wellness Travelers and Adventure Travelers
Daly also said Tourism Fiji plans to pursue not only the traditional North American romance and honeymoon market in coming months, but also U.S. travelers interested in health and wellness, as well as those in search of adventure.
I used to think, long before I visited, that Fiji was for couples, and you have to go with someone you love because there’s nothing to do — and that is so not true these days.
“One area that we’re now going after more than ever is the family market,” Daly said. “Fiji has been a great family destination for Aussies and Kiwis, who’ve been taking their kids to Fiji for decades. We’re really going to push that now because we know multigenerational travel is super hot for Americans.”
Perfect Honeymoons’ Macknight, who’s traveled to Fiji on many occasions, agreed that the South Pacific destination has a great deal to offer beyond just the traditional romance market.
“I used to think, long before I visited, that Fiji was for couples, and you have to go with someone you love because there’s nothing to do — and that is so not true these days,” he explained. “There are so many things to do that are family friendly — whitewater rafting, hiking, jet skis. … There’s just so much variety where they can keep kids from 6 to 18 entertained. And the Fijian people really make kids feel like part of their family.”
The Details
Tourism Fiji
