An article published on the second last day of 2017 stated that global surveys showed Fiji had been ranked as the happiest country in the globe. It has topped the happiness index in the global end-of-year survey on hope, optimism and happiness.
History reveals this is not the first time Fiji has achieved such recognition, but other past surveys had earlier placed Fiji as the happiest place on the earth. Earlier, the “happiness barometer” ranked Fiji as the happiest nation in the world and this created rejoice and euphoria. Iran, Iraq and Ukraine were placed at the bottom in terms of happiness.
Although Fiji is an island country in the South Pacific with its limited geography area in comparison with big nations, Fijians have big hearts and that makes a mark for itself yet again.
The initiator of the current survey was commenced by Dr George Gallup through his sampling techniques and inventor of the famous Gallup Poll. This has given Fiji another chance to use its achievement in terms of enhancing its tourism to generate more revenues for the nation. This survey boosts tourism in Fiji, which is the nation’s backbone.
The Fijian Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism is trying to develop the industry with its Fijian Tourism 2021 Plan “that endeavours to elevate the standard of tourism to a $2.2 billion industry by the end of 2021”.
The objectives of this plan is to catalyse visitor expenditure and tourism yield; create a conducive environment for sustainable increase in visitor arrivals and support development of a sustainable and inclusive tourism sector.
This plan has developed nine thematic areas with 29 strategies of branding Fiji tourism, enhance value of its tourism products, facilitating and promoting foreign and domestic investment in tourism, investing in tourism related infrastructure, strengthening linkages to the tourism industry, ensuring continued sustainable development of the tourism industry, having a conducive and updated legal framework, risk management and measuring of performance of Fiji’s industry.
The declaration of Fiji as the happiest country again in 2017 will certainly be used to develop commercial branding to enhance tourism sector.
Even Tourism Fiji and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism intend to continue to proactively promote the “Fijian” brand that is the Fijian-Made Buy Fijian campaign, aimed at promoting and raising the profile of Fijian-made products domestically and internationally.
The Fijian-made branded products carry emblems or logos on the products to distinguish them from imported products.
Different branding slogans have been used in the past from “Fiji, the world’s one truly relaxing tourist destination”, “Fiji Me”, “Discover the Fiji You Don’t Know”, “Discover the Fiji You’ll Never Forget” and “Fiji – where happiness finds you”.
In presenting the branding of Fiji, social media plays a pivotal role in creating an image where every person dreams to explore. Fiji is considered to be the “Paradise in the Pacific” because of its inherent beauty, commercial branding and government initiatives.
More than happiness, it is the big heart of Fijians that expresses warmth, hospitality and kindness to guests and visitors, which gives them an edge over other nations.
Despite Fiji’s past, it has made a mark for itself by crossing the political upheavals, climatic crisis and economic hurdles to show the world that Fijians are the most happiest and content people in the world.
Fijians have faced every challenge with brave hearts. The “big smile” on the face of every Fijian makes their image larger than life to be the happiest people in the world.
Happiness comes with a combination of varied traits such as self-belief, customs, tradition, discipline, education, ethics and nationalism.
Thus, the opportunity lies in front of Fiji’s tourism industry to use this survey report of declaration of Fiji as the top happiest country for the commercial tourism branding and attract more tourists from around the world. This would in turn enhance its tourism income.
This is the time to make a 2018 resolution to use this achievement to brand Fiji i.e. “Happiness lives here”, “Happiness in paradise”, “Desire to be happy: Fiji is the place to be”, “Explore the Happiest country”, “Thrill, Adventure, Exoticism in the Happiest Country of the World” and so on…
* Dr Sakul Kundra is an assistant professor in history at FNU’s Lautoka campus. Views expressed are his and not of this newspaper or his employer. For comments or suggestions, email. dr.sakulkundra@gmail.com.