Escape Opened Tourism Field - FijiTimes.com

Escape Opened Tourism Field
Thursday, January 21, 2010

WHEN the MV Reef Escape sailed on her maiden voyage in 1996, the crew and passengers did not realise how instrumental it would be in opening up Fiji to the outside world.

Cruise vessels first visited the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups in April of 1996 when Australia- based cruise vessel company Captain Cook began its three, four and seven-night cruises.

The cruise vessel also had a Northern Fiji Dateline Discovery Cruise that revealed the unique history, art and culture of the northern Fiji Islands and allowed passengers the ultimate experience of standing on the International Dateline.

The cruise was developed after months of extensive research and searching for secluded and exclusive locations. Passengers were taken beyond Yasawa to very remote and exotic tropical islands.

The Captain Cook Cruises is a family-owned company started by Captain Trevor Haworth and his wife Geraldine, who began their business at Number 6 Jetty Circular Quay, Sydney in 1970 and built the business up from a single vessel to be the most recognised Sydney Harbour cruise ship line operating today.

Captain Cook Cruises is now Sydney's premier cruise operator carrying in excess of 750,000 passengers per year on Sydney Harbour and over 20,000 per year on their Australian and Fijian destination cruises.

The fleet of small cruise ships are specially designed to bring passengers as close as possible to the more remote areas of Australia and Fiji's pristine waterways, areas where larger ships cannot go.

The cruise vessel has also carried out day trips that included the historic island of Ovalau, the Bouma Waterfall lagoon on Taveuni Island, the extinct volcanic crater, hot springs and thriving markets in Savusavu, a special children's choral church service at Waiyevo and of course the 180th Meridian the arbitrary Dateline between today and tomorrow on Taveuni Island.

Cruise liners to inject estimated $3m into Fiji economy

MARY RAUTO
Fiji Times Story - Saturday, May 30, 2009

Update: 12:29PM FIJI is expected to receive at least $3million from the remaining 70 cruise vessels scheduled to visit our shores via Pacific Agencies (Fiji) Limited this year.

Company spokesman Bradley Bower said a total of 70 cruise vessels for PAFL alone were scheduled to call into Fiji for 2009.
He said these vessels would call into Suva, Lautoka, Savusavu, Dravuni, Denarau, Taveuni, Kioa, Rabi, Beqa and Yasawa group of islands.
The $3.15m estimated revenue excludes port fees, employment and earnings of companies involved in handling cruise ships, cruise ship passengers booking on tours within port limits.
Mr Bower said each cruise vessel 1500 to 2000 passengers and an estimated $30 per person was spent at a port.

He said the global economic crisis did not have much effect on the cruise holidaymakers because many bookings were made two years in advance. For those traveling passengers, majority have paid for their cruise holidays two years prior and are still traveling regardless, he said.
The effect of this world recession affects those booking now for one to two years on.

Those numbers may be limited and cruise companies will be looking at what savings can be made that provides them incentives to continue selling your port among all others available.
One of PAFLs cruise vessel Dawn Princess berthed at the Kings Wharf in Suva on Thursday.

Tourism Fiji targets cruise ship sector

Tourism Fiji targets cruise ship sector
16/02/2009- Fijilive

---

Plans are now in place to increase the flow of cruise liners through niche marketing activities showcasing lesser known areas of Fiji.

This was confirmed by Tourism Fiji chairman Patrick Wong today who said it was these cruise liners that generated and contributed the much needed foreign exchange earnings in the short period of time visiting our shores.

Wong said some of the non-traditional tourism areas that could benefit from cruise liners included the northern islands, Lomaiviti, Kadavu, Lau and Rotuma.

He said these plans would call for participation from all sectors in the community, from meke performers, firewalkers, entertainers, tour guides, ground operators, taxis and bus drivers, wood cavers, and weavers, etcetera.

“It also spreads the benefits of the tourism dollar by promoting non-traditional tourism areas and activities, supporting transportation companies, boat operators and small tourism related enterprise,” Wong said.

“It supports the government’s policy of spreading the tourism dollar throughout the islands and in support of small owner-operators, indigenous investors in the eco-tourism market such as trekking, diving, bird watching and soft adventure,” he said.

Wong said proposed plans would ensure the promotion of locally-owned enterprises that have no internationally-recognised branding and placing an emphasis on its unique selling points.

“But there is much work to be done with infrastructure on charting of our waters and identifying berthing and suitable mooring sights for the large liners” he said.