World video travel guide
ATW FREELANCE COUNCIL DONATES FJD1100 TO FIJI SCHOOLS & HOSPITALS
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Freelance Council has donated FJD1100 to the Sigatoka village school, Sigatoka School for the Blind in the Sigatoka Hospital Children’s Ward.
The cash donation was recently presented to Tourism Fiji by Second Vice Chairperson Carole Terwillinger Meyers at a ‘farewell to Fiji’ evening hosted by Tourism Fiji at the Naviti Resort, the culmination of a highly successful visit to Fiji by 60 SATW members, the largest group of travel writers to visit Fiji at any one time in the tourist board’s history.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Regional Director, The Americas, Ms Ili Matatolu at ili@tourismfijius.com
Fiji team attends ITE & ITE MICE 2011
Following the success of its five city tour of China earlier this year, a Fiji tourism delegation led by Tourism Fiji has built on its profile in the region by attending ITE & ITE MICE HK 2011.
One of the Asia region’s other biggest annual consumer travel shows, the 2011 event marks the 25th anniversary of ITE Hong Kong which, running concurrently with ITE MICE, has become one of North Asia’s most significant events.
It is estimated more than 30 per cent of its regional trade and corporate visitors coming from mainland China and other parts of Asia.
The Fiji tourism team, the second to attend the event in two years, included Air Pacific, Rosie DMC, The Pearl South Pacific, Sheraton & Westin Resorts Fiji and Nukubati Island Great Sea Reef.
For further enquiries, please contact Tourism Fiji’s marketing officer, Mr Kiniviliame Raicebe at kraicebe@tourismfiji.com.fj
‘GIVE ME FIVE!” - TOURISM FIJI COMPLETES FIVE-CITY TRANS-CANADA ROAD SHOW
Part of its ongoing strategy to reinforce and establish ties with key travel agents in Eastern and Western Canada, Tourism Fiji has just completed an intensive five city road show visiting Vancouver and Surrey in British Columbia, Edmonton in Alberta, Toronto in Ontario and Montreal in Quebec Province. More than 82 retail travel agents and ‘Matai’ specialists in Eastern Canada and more than 64 from the Western region attended the series of dinner seminars.
Format for each city visited included a focus providing the attending travel professionals with a destination update/overview on Fiji and advice on how to sell the destination.
Subject matter ranged from weddings and honeymoons to dive, luxury and soft adventure plus an insight into the benefits Tourism Fiji’s ‘Matai Specialist’ program provides.
The purpose of the game, Ms Matatolu said, was to entertain players while showing them the range of adventure, cultural and other land and water activities that are now readily available in all parts of Fiji.
The workshops also included a welcome and presentation by Tourism Fiji, authentic Fijian hand passed and buffet-style cuisine and live entertainment by members of the Conservatorium of Music based in Suva, Fiji who performed for the attendees.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Regional Director, The Americas, Ms Ili Matatolu at ili@tourismfijius.com
FIJI ISLANDS BACKPACKERS FORUM 2011
Tourism Fiji in cooperation with the Fiji Islands Backpackers Association will again stage a major backpacker Forum at the Tanoa Skylodge Hotel in Nadi on Friday 24 June 2011.
The objective of the event as in previous years is to further build ongoing relationships between FIBA, the local tourism industry, key stakeholders and government. The main theme for the one day forum will be “Opportunities arising with Global Changes – Backpacker / Independent Travelers”
Keynote speakers will include Dr. Jeff Jarvis, Tourism Research Unit & National Centre for Australian Studies; Peter Ovenden, Chairman of ATEC BYI Conference/Global Gossip, Australia; Errol Fifer, President of Fiji Islands Backpacker Association; Josefa Tuamoto, CEO Tourism Fiji; Joseph Lowe, Chief Commercial Officer, Air Pacific; Steve Reid, Director, Webmedia, and Darin McDonald, CEO SSC/AAF & Leigh Efferion, Yasawa Trust Foundation.
For further information on the program and registration, please contact Tourism Fiji’s Marketing Officer, Ms Kesaia Marau at kmarau@tourismfiji.com.fj
LUCK OF THE IRISH – IRISH RADIO AND WEDDING JOURNAL COMPETITION PRIZE WINERS ANNOUNCED
The winners of the Irish Radio and Wedding Journal competition have been named as Gillian Lyttle and Mark Allison of Belfast who will now enjoy a £5000 honeymoon thanks to Sonaisali Island Resort, Tokoriki Island Resort and Captain Cook Cruises.
The couple won their prize as part of a promotion organized by Tourism Fiji’s UK office in conjunction with City Beat FM Belfast and The Wedding Journal.
Contestants were required to send City Beat their dreamy, wacky and of course celebrity proposals to be in with a chance of winning a celebrity wedding package. The five best proposals were chosen and brought to life in the final week, where the five couples staged their proposal to win a place in the grand final at the Wedding Journal Show.
And Gillian and Mark were adjudged the very best.
For further information, please contact Tourism Fiji UK/Ireland Market Representative, Ms Jane West at jane@ihml.com
MAMA MIA! TOURISM FIJI SAYS BON GIORNO TO ROME AND MILAN
Tourism Fiji is very top of mind with Italians right now thanks to 10 brightly decorated ‘Bula’ buses and trams currently travelling around Milan and Rome.
The vehicles are pretty hard to miss, stopping regularly in several of both cities’ busiest precincts. These include Piazza Cavour (Rome) and Corso di Porta Romana (Milan). More to the point Tourism Fiji estimates that close on 12,000,000 people have seen the buses since they first began operating in April.
For further information, please contact Ms Janina Günther at j.guenther@interface-net.de
OOH LA LA – FIJI TACKLES FRENCH TV
Fiji will become very top of mind with local TV stations with French TV stations Canal+ and Rugby+ advertising ‘Fiji Me’ branding on LED displays during four matches to be broadcast live to an audience of 1,650,000 spectators between 03-24 September as world attention starts to focus on the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.
For further information, please contact Ms Janina Günther at j.guenther@interface-net.de
CAMPO TO ATTEND CORAL COAST SEVENS
Australian rugby legend David Campese has confirmed his attendance as one of this year’s Coral Coast Seven’s ambassadors and will also be bringing a team to compete in the 2011 event which has been scheduled at Sigatoka from 19-20 November.
Campese’s team will be one of 24 competing this year, including seven other international teams from Australia and New Zealand, for the major prize money of FJD30,000. Coral Coast Seven’s Chairman, Jay Whyte said the success of the national Fiji Rugby sevens team, many of whom hail from the Coral Coast, has been the catalyst in enticing many overseas countries to compete in this amazing tournament.
“The national Fiji team, the Digicel Fiji Sevens, is one of the most admired and successful rugby sevens teams in the world and many of its players come from the teams that will be competing in the Coral Coast Sevens,” he said.
“We are thrilled to have so much interest from top overseas rugby countries like New Zealand and Australia.”
The tournament will feature fierce competition on the field and a uniquely Fijian atmosphere off it. Emphasis will be on fun and Fijian hospitality, with the locals extending a warm welcome to visitors to the Coral Coast for the event.
For more information visit www.fijiscoralcoastsevens.com
CRUSOES RETREAT OPENS NEW COCO’S SPA
Crusoe's Retreat is very proud to announce the opening of Coco's Spa – a dedicated Spa facility with professionally trained Spa Therapists. Coco’s Spa at Crusoe’s Retreat uses Fiji’s locally produced skin & body care products - Essence of Viti.
For further information, please contact Ms Sandi Reily-Simmons at nzsales@crusoesretreat.com
FIJI TO HOST FINAL LEG OF THE WORLD STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD TOUR IN NOVEMBER
Pristine Natadola Beach will be the venue for the very first international stand-up paddle boarding event to be staged in on 13 November 2011. Natadola will be the start point for a 30-kilometre open ocean race with the finish line at Namotu.
Fiji Surfing Association President John Philp said he hoped this event would prove a catalyst for the event to be held in Fiji on an annual basis and also help to attract the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) back to Fiji with the destination forming an annual part of the overall Surfing World Tour.
Stand up paddle boarding is now the world’s fastest growing marine sport and can literally be enjoyed on any stretch of water – from lakes and lagoons to rivers and ocean surf.
For more information visit the FSA’s facebook page (Fiji Surfing Association).
DIVING @ WANANAVU – DIVING THE BLIGH JUST GOT BETTER!
Wananavu Beach Resort has joined its resources with Crystal Blue Reef Safari Ltd Fiji.
The new dive operation will be located at Wananavu under the management of PADI Instructors Jeremy and Kristen David from Colorado USA, who bring with them direct Fijian dive management experience from Dive Kadavu and before that at a PADI 5 Star IDC dive centre in Durango, Colorado USA.
The new operation will offer the full range of dive courses from Open Water to Dive Master Certification. Also available will be the introductory dive courses and guided snorkelling excursions.
Reef Safari employs its own Marine Biologists and all guides are trained by them in order to provide the level of knowledge required for even the most inquisitive of client! The Marine Biologists will also be on hand to monitor the reefs & to recommend any reef management measures.
The main dive boat will be a purpose built 11.4m / 37ft long x 3.1m / 10ft wide single aluminium hull beauty with twin 250hp outboards. This will have a very comfortable capacity of 16 divers for up to 3 tanks.
With the arrival of the second boat the comfortable operation capacity will be 26 divers.
For further information please contact Ben Plummer, General Manager, Wananavu Beach Resort (ben@wananavu.com ) or Andrew Cole, Business Manager, Reef Safari Fiji.
STARWOOD APPOINTS ANDRE CALDWELL AS DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OF SHERATON & WESTIN RESORTS DENARAU ISLAND FIJI
Sheraton & Westin Resorts have announced the appointment of Andre Caldwell, as Director of Finance for Sheraton Fiji Resort, Sheraton Denarau Villas, The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa and the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club.
A Natabua High School old boy and a graduate of the University of the South Pacific, Andre began his journey with Starwood as Assistant Financial Controller for Sheraton Resorts, Fiji in 2003 before taking similar positions at the W Retreat & Spa, Maldives. Prior to this held the position of Financial Controller at Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia.
For further information, please visit www.sheratonfiji.com
REINVESTMENT AND REFURBISHMENT ‘THE KEY SAYS SOFITEL FIJI
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa’s General Manager Adam Laker has announced that the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa will undergo a renovation in 2011 which will focus primarily on its guest rooms.
For more information, contact visit www.sofitelfiji.com.fj.
NEW TRIO JOINS OUTRIGGER ON THE LAGOON FIJI MANAGEMENT TEAM
Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji has recruited three new personnel to its management team.
Newly appointed Front Office Manager Michael Bali is Fijian born and bred and has worked his way through the hospitality industry starting at Shangri-La Fijian Resort as a Page Boy and gaining experience as a telephone/PABX operator, in reservations, front desk and guest services.
In 2000 he joined Outrigger Reef Fiji as part of the opening team as Guest Services Officer and worked his way through the ranks to Duty Manager.
Michael also gained experience at Sheraton Resort Denarau in sales and revenue management and at Warwick Fiji Resort and Spa in front office prior to his appointment at Outrigger.
Having worked for Outrigger Reef Fiji during its first five years of operation, William Work returns to Outrigger on the Lagoon as Resort Duty Manager.
With over 14 years of industry experience William has also worked in various roles including Guest Services Officer, Reservations Manager, Duty Manager and Assistant Front Office Manager at Shangri-La Fijian Resort and Warwick Fiji.
He has also gained experience as a Training Officer for Front Office and Reservations with the Training Productivity Authority of Fiji - Hospitality and Tourism school and at Vodafone where he held a position for two years.
New Sales Manager, Jennifer Yip brings over seven years of industry experience and excellent credentials to her role.
Beginning her tourism career in 2004 as a Passenger Traffic Agent for Korean Air, Jennifer moved to the Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa as Sales Manager then to the position of Distribution Manager.
Holding a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Tourism and Management coupled with a keen enthusiasm for the tourism industry, Jennifer received industry recognition when she was awarded the Young Achiever of the Year at the AON Tourism Awards in 2009.
Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji General Manager, Peter Hopgood, said he was delighted to welcome the new, young talent to the Outrigger team.
‘It’s great to have fresh new faces around the resort filling important roles which have opened due to the continued success of the property. Outrigger prides itself on its valued staff and is looking forward to the positive impact this new trio will have,’ he said.
For further information, please visit www.outriggerfiji.com
MAMANUCA EXPRESS
Mamanuca Express is a new 24 hour water taxi & boat charter service operating seven days a week from Port Denarau Marina. The company provides express transfers to all resorts in the Mamanuca Islands and/or pick up from island resorts and transfer to Port Denarau.
The company operates two new modern vessels, the ‘Gemini 1’ which seats six passengers and the ‘Maxi’ which seats 33 passengers. A third vessel will also be added to the fleet in the near future.
Further information on our boats and services can also be found on our website at www.mamanucaexpress.com
LIKULIKU INTRODUCES FREE HELI TRANSFERS
Likuliku Lagoon Resort Fiji has announced a new special offer incorporating free return heli transfers’ for two people.
The package is based on two people staying a minimum of seven nights in on Beachfront, Deluxe Beachfront and Over-Water Bure accommodation only.
The offer is valid for sale and travel from 01 June 2011 to 31 March 2011 with the exception of Christmas/New Year and other applicable blackout periods and applies to new bookings only.
Visit www.likulikulagoon.com for bookings and further information.
SHANGRI-LA’S FIJIAN RESORT & SPA ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OR SALES & MARKETING
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa announces the appointment of its new Director of Sales & Marketing, Michael Albana.
Announcing the new appointment, Resort General Manager, Michael Monks, said he was delighted to welcome Mr Albana to Fiji to head the team at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa. Mr Albana replaces Ms Agnes Pacific who has transferred to Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa.
“Mr Albana brings a wealth of experience to the position here in Fiji and he comes from within our Shangri-La family,” Monks said.
For further information, please contact Communications Manager, Ms Lata Yaqona at lata.yaqona@shangri-la.com
CASTAWAY RECEIVES ‘TOP 10 RESORT FOR FAMILIES’ACCOLADE FOR THIRD TIME
Castaway Island Resort has been named as a ‘Holidays for kids’ top 10 resort.
This is the third time the resort has received the accolade from the prestigious magazine.
For more information, contact Karen Marvell, Sales & Marketing Manager, Castaway Island Resort, email karen.marvell@castawayfiji.com.au.
FIJI ISLANDS ‘BEAUTIFUL ME’ CRUISE
Captain Cook Cruises has announced a new seven-night 7 night inaugural “Beautiful Me” Yasawa Island pampering cruise offering passengers beauty and fashion tips with onboard experts and the opportunity to participate in beauty/health workshops while enjoying a full cruise experience.
For further information, please contact Captain Cook Cruises’ NZ Sales Manager, Ms Anne Radonich at anne@radmarketing.co.nz
ADVENTURE BEYOND EXPECTATION WITH WESTERZAIF TOURS
Westerzaif Tours has released a series of new adventure tours incorporating the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Sabeto hot springs and mud pool, the Momi Gun Sight, Sand Dunes National Park, Sigatoka Town and market and a village drive.
For further information please contact Tashlim Ali at westerzaiftours@hotmail.com or visit www.westerzaiftours.com
PURE FIJI ZENERGY BREAKS
Pure Fiji has introduced a Wellness Break with Pure Fiji’’ which it describes as a rejuvenating session to revive body and soul. Get spirits singing and bodies zing-ing with an invigorating zumba or relaxing yoga session.
The Wellness Breaks can be combined with a Factory Tour, shopping at Pearl Traders (located in the Pure Fiji Complex) and then lunch at an art cafe and a tour of the Museum for a perfect day in Suva.
For further information contact info@purefiji.com
SOFITEL’S UPCOMING WINEMAKERS DINNER
So=itel Fiji and Victoria Wines second elegant winemaker’s dinner for the year will take place on 16 June at V restaurant.
Speakers will include Alastair Maling, Group Wine Maker of Villa Maria whose wines will compliment a four-course degustation menu prepared by executive chef Brendon Coffey.
For further information please contact reservations@sofitelfiji.com.fj or visit www.sofitelfiji.com.fj
FETE DE LA MUSIQUE
Sofitel Fiji will stage a ‘Fete De La Musique’ evening linking Fijian and Latin American music at Breeze Bar from 6.00 – 7.00 PM and Salt from 11.00 AM – 2.00 PM and 6.00
– 9.00 PM on Tuesday 21 June.
For further information please contact reservations@sofitelfiji.com.fj or visit www.sofitelfiji.com.fj.
MANA LAUNCHES DOV’s
Mana Island Resort and Spa has officially opened its long awaited new Deluxe Ocean View (DOV) Bure accommodation on the island’s North Beach. A total of 12 free standing bures and 20 interconnecting ‘duplex’ bures all feature large ‘sunset’ decking with direct access to the island’s renowned powder white sand.
Each of the bures features king or queen sized beds, single beds and sofa beds offering accommodation for up to four adults.
Amenities include in-room telephones, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, robes, slippers, hair dryers, in-room safes and refrigerators.
The resort has already showcased the new accommodation to some 50 travel consultants from Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, USA and Canada - in Fiji for the recent Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange – each of which was given a perfect opportunity to ‘test drive’ the new accommodation for themselves.
For further information please visit www.manafiji.com
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