Yesterday’s announcement of Fiji Airways becoming Oneworld’s newest full member is going to attract the attention of many in the industry. They know what it means to the airline, and subsequently the impact the connection could have on our nation.
Our national airline joins a list of only 15 airlines who are part of Oneworld.
The announcement took place at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Dubai yesterday.
Andre Viljoen, managing director of Fiji Airways, when making the announcement, said it was a significant step in the airline’s commitment to providing top service and connectivity.
As a full member airline, he said, they would be able to enhance the travel experience for Oneworld alliance frequent flyers, offering greater accessibility to Fiji and the South Pacific, and “ensuring seamless connections and memorable journeys for Fiji Airways customers across the alliance network”.
Full membership opens up more destinations through code sharing, which in turn offers endless possibilities.
It means opening Fiji up to visitors in Europe for instance, and more destinations throughout the US.
Just last month, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Viliame Gavoka spoke at the Fiji Tourism Exchange (FTE), where he revealed that Fiji was on track to welcome a million visitors to our shores this year.
That, he mentioned, opened up numerous opportunities.
He spoke about “our brand message, ‘Where happiness comes naturally’”.
This, he said, takes Fiji’s “authentic beauty, culture and experiences to the world from cities like Sydney and Beijing to Times Square and everywhere in between”.
Fiji received a record 929,740 visitors last year, with almost 80 per cent visiting for a holiday.
Our key source markets are Australia and New Zealand, with significant growth coming from North America.
The visitor economy contributed over $3billion in revenue last year, highlighting the significant economic impact of tourism on Fiji.
To hit a million visitors will mean a number of things must happen.
That will mean we have to consider the number of rooms we have available for the different kinds of tourists, from the high end visitors, to backpackers.
It will mean considering rooms by the day and months, and during peak periods.
It will mean being prepared and engaged to welcome visitors and offer them a memorable experience.
So this latest news may be a catalyst to boost our numbers.
Our challenge remains though, to ensure we have the processes to grow our numbers, and encourage stakeholders to be engaged and to be part of the bigger plan to ensure our visitors enjoy their stay here and choose to return.
We reflect on what this means to the economy, and to other connected industries here.
We have a great opportunity to showcase our unique culture and beauty to visitors in more destinations around the world, and bring in more visitors.
Ultimately, our success will also depend on how we look after them, to compel them to spread the word about our home and be motivated to return!