Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka says restoring stronger air connectivity through Korean Air could play a major role in reviving Fiji’s European tourism market.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Gavoka said Fiji once welcomed around 50,000 visitors annually from Europe, largely driven by Korean Air’s previous route linking London, Seoul and Nadi.
“We go back to the days when Europe used to be a 50,000 visitor arrival market. It used to be quite, quite big in those days,” Gavoka said.
He explained that European travellers previously benefited from a seamless airline connection through Korean Air.
“This was largely driven by Korean Air, which used to fly from London into Seoul and Seoul into Nadi — one airline service,” he said.
Gavoka contrasted that with the current travel arrangements, where visitors often have to transit through multiple international hubs such as Dallas, Hong Kong or Singapore before connecting to Fiji Airways flights.
“It’s unfortunate that Korean Air pulled out of Fiji about four or five years ago,” he said.
The Tourism Minister revealed he had personally discussed the issue with the President of Korean Air, who informed him the airline had been losing around $5 million annually on the Fiji segment of the route.
Despite the previous financial losses, Gavoka said there may now be renewed opportunities following Korean Air’s planned merger with Asiana Airlines later this year.
“They are now merging with Asiana, which will happen in December this year, and that will possibly enable them to look at that connection, which is very vital to the European market,” he said.
Gavoka stressed that European tourists remain important to Fiji because they generally stay longer and spend more time exploring local communities and cultures.
He acknowledged that Fiji still needed to improve tourism infrastructure to better cater for European travellers and experiential tourism.
“For them, experiential tourism is a way for them to really explore the culture, the way of life here.”
Gavoka added that Fiji continued to serve as a gateway for European visitors travelling throughout the South Pacific region.
