General Manager Operations, Global Bedbank, Ioane Naivalurua,
Industry Stakeholders,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentleman,
Bula Vinaka and a very warm welcome to you all.
These are indeed extraordinary circumstances and if it’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that the crisis we face today extends beyond just our own borders. The face of tourism has changed. And how we respond collectively today, will shape not just the tourism industry, but the global economy for the years to come.
Despite this, not all is lost. Along with the rest of the world, we now pivot to focus on innovation and opportunities in our response. Harnessing technology is one sure way to go.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With this in mind, it is my pleasure to officiate the soft launch of “PayNowStayLater” an online platform created by Pacific Bedbank in joint partnership with Vazilu Pty Ltd.
This unique buying concept, presents the highpoints of purchasing future travel, as a niche solution, in our bid towards accepting the new normal.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as I mentioned during the launch of the “Love our Locals” campaign last month, it is vital, for Fiji as a travel destination, to maintain consumer confidence and invite economic activity in the tourism sector again.
It is for that reason, well-suited for an online platform like PayNowStayLater to enter the market, and be actively given a boost in the domestic and international market.
Envisioned by Mr Bill Whiting and implemented by a young team comprising of talented Fijians specialised in digital marketing, software development, law regulations, and finance, this undertaking is something the Fijian Government has strongly advocated through current programmes like YES and RISE respectively.
There is great uncertainty and big questions around what tourism will look like in the next few weeks, months and even years to come. When will borders open, when is it safe to book a holiday? These questions will linger for a while and along with trust, consumers seek flexibility, value for money and convenience. The PayNowStayLater platform gives you just that.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is worth mentioning that the PayNowStayLater online platform will open doors of opportunity for our hoteliers, with the added benefit of having a partner conduct marketing and sales conversions at little to no cost.
This is an opportune time for our hoteliers to be a part of an innovative platform, which is in harmony with a re-engineered paradigm and the new normal. It presents combined benefits to hotels and resorts including potential travellers.
Hotels and resorts will be able to generate quick business, earn instant required cash-flow, and complement direct booking strategies with a minimal mark-up of 5.5 percent commission in comparison to other Online Travel Agents.
Potential travellers on the other hand, will have access to deals through one consolidated platform with flexible travel conditions, longer travel period duration for guaranteed bookings and money back guarantee cover assurance.
Ladies and Gentleman, tailor-made for turbulent times, the platform currently has fifteen properties signed up. To intensify uptake, the PayNowStayLater team will undertake vigorous marketing in the Australian and New Zealand market through:
- Search Engine Optimisation, incorporating specific key words such as “Fiji Holidays”
- Social media advertising, targeting high engagement intervals in Australia and New Zealand
- Email marketing and press releases to key media contacts, and
- Leveraging key tourism partners such as Market Development Facility, Pacific Tourism Organisation and other tourism associations, to name a few.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as a 100% Fijian owned platform, PayNowStayLater intends to ensure hoteliers generate cash-flow to meet ongoing costs for basic maintenance, reduced salaries and utilities, in readiness to receive guests when our boarders open.
As they say, trust is now the new currency of the new normal. And to build and maintain this trust, we have developed a set of COVID Safe Guidelines to help the industry adapt to this new normal.
In addition to these COVID Safe guidelines, the Fijian Government through digitalFIJI has developed Fiji’s own contact tracing app, careFIJI, to fast-track the Ministry of Health and Medical Services contact tracing efforts, underpinning Fiji’s proactive measures towards being a COVID Safe nation and tourist destination.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you will appreciate the proactive steps taken by the Fijian Government to gain COVID-contained status and safely open the Fijian economy and our boarders will give international friends and visitors, the confidence to visit our friendly shores once again.
Love Our Locals Campaign has been a huge success and I take this opportunity to thank all Fijians that have supported our tourism industry in this trying times. Through this campaign, our industry has also managed to activate their own COVID-Safe plans and are well prepared to receive international visitors.
To those businesses that have come on board to be a part of the PayNowStayLater online platform, Vinaka and encourage you to use this time to capture the local and international markets as much as possible.
I also encourage other hotels and tour operators to seriously consider the PayNowStayLater platform as this will open doors to a huge market of eager travellers to Fiji.
To the PayNowStayLater team, we wish you all the success in growing your business and making a meaningful impact on the Fijian economy and in the lives of many Fijians that depend on this important industry for livelihood.
Thank you and Vinaka Vakalevu.