Fiji hotels offering 50% discounts to win back tourists

This was in Tahitipresse on May 17th:

(Tahitipresse) - Fiji's hotels and resorts have announced 50% discounts in a new attempt to lure tourists back to the islands following a slump in visitors since the Dec. 5 military coup, the Fiji Daily Post reported Wednesday.

Damend Goundar, chairman of the Tourism Action Group (TAG) created following the coup, told the newspaper, "They are now unable to come up with any new strategies because the hotels and resorts have done all they can."

The Fiji Times reported Thursday that low hotel and resort bookings are not what the tourism industry had expected. "The industry was hoping for recovery commencing on peak season in June."

Dixon Seeto, president of the Fiji Islands Hotel and Tourism Association, told the Fiji Times the tourism industry had expected to get back to some sort of normalcy. "We have hoped for more."

Seeto told the newspaper occupancy rates were still not good and business was down in terms of revenue. He said hotels and resorts had different occupancy rates with some down in greater degree than others.

Seeto blamed the low volume of bookings on negative travel advisories by the New Zealand and Australian governments.

Last week, Viliame Gavoka, chief executive officer of the Fiji Visitors Bureau (FVB) said many figures being reported in the media about visitor numbers were no longer valid and did not reflect the present situation. "It is very difficult making any forecast because the situation keeps changing and the confidence in Fiji is still very low from our source markets.

"What we do know," Gavoka told the Fiji Times, "is that the industry is far from normal and that it will continue to take a major effort by all of us to return it to its pre-Dec. 5 levels. To achieve this we are working against tremendous pressure. The competition is offering outstanding deals to tourists. We are still facing travel advisories, and with the bureau (FVB) having its budget substantially cut, we are finding it challenging to sustain our promotional efforts overseas."

Have just booked two holidays to Fiji for June and August.
Got a good two for one deal at Vomo but Matamanoa, Navini and Funky Fish were just regular deals.
Just the cost of the food seems to be what we used to pay for travel and accomodation not too long ago.