Mr Semi Buwawa of Rainers Travel and Tours,

Mr. Mikaele Tudaku, Training Instructor, St. John Association of Fiji,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

WELCOME

• I was asked by my team if I wanted to say a few words at a small event. I said of course – because even by supporting one person, you are supporting many.
• Bula Vinaka. On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, it’s a pleasure to have you all here.
• Sometime in July, we had a determined Mr Semi Buwawa of Rainers Travel and Tours, seek support in a training that will help twenty of you get First Aid certified. We welcomed this.

TOUR GUIDES: FIJI’S STORY TELLERS

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• Tour Guides play a special role in the tourism sector. They are amongst strongest Ambassadors of the Fijian brand.
• You tell our story. The story of our history, our present and often—future. Just yesterday, Fiji celebrated 52 year of Independence. That’s definitely a story worth sharing. So, you have the power to influence experiences – especially of tourists.
• But your role is well beyond showing tourists around. You have a duty of care. That’s why this First Aid Training course is critical – not just in meeting requirements – but to provide the level of service expected.
• Tourists put their trust in tour guides so you should have the ability to handle emergencies. We know, one negative experience can jeopardize an entire destination’s reputation.

OFFERING AUTHENTICITY

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• Because of the pandemic – there is a shift in travel patterns. Being locked in our homes for two years, visitors now want more natural products that offer authentic, immersive experiences. They no longer want to stay in their hotels and lay by the beach. They want to move around, learn, and live like locals.
• They want to visit local markets and villages, see historic sites and off-the-trek waterfalls. That’s where you come in.

MAINTAINING STANDARDS

• It goes without saying, a role as important as this requires a certain level of quality. So the overall standard of all tourism related services including accommodation, restaurants, tour guiding need to be not only maintained, but improved – continuously. In fact, we need to be ahead of others now more than ever.

OUR SUPPORT

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• The Ministry will soon publish a Code of Conduct that acts as a guideline to maintain standard of services, including in communities. If you have not been able to contribute, please get in touch with my team.
• When you do make community tours, you need to ensure it’s respectful to women and children. In this regard, we have also developed a Community-based Child Safe Tourism Toolkit. We will be distributing these in the next session and hope you find them useful.

SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES

• I understand many, if not all of you, will be engaged in the cruise sector. Some of you have been tour guides for over thirty years. Irrespective of whether you are entering this market for the first time or after two years, I am sure the return of cruise ships is welcomed.
• Cruise companies, passengers and crew combined spend approx. $44.2 million annually in Fiji — with every cruise bringing over $300,000 and $90 per passenger a day^[1].
• Over the coming months, we can expect about 30 cruise visits. So this is a great opportunity for you.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• A pre-COVID study shows that most passengers look for tours showing culture, wildlife, and scenery. Most passengers spend on tours and excursions, with the majority (78%) pre-booked tours and four percent onshore. The remaining spending is on shopping (handicrafts, souvenirs, clothing: 13 percent share) and food and beverages (4%)
• Handicrafts, clothing, tours, and food and beverage show the strongest opportunities to satisfy unmet purchasing needs. Almost 40 percent (27 – 37%) disembarking passengers say they would spend more if there were more options.
• Again, that’s where you come in – to seize these opportunities. The better your service and products – the better the market share.

CONCLUSION

Ladies and Gentlemen,

• This training gets you certified for another 3 years. It is my hope you continue to be good ambassadors of the Fijian tourism industry.
• After this, I will be visiting Namosi Eco Retreat, a business we’re supporting in their refurbishment. That’s another product that should be on your list.

Vinaka Vakalevu.