Mr. Jo Rayawa

Response to the Bureau's Class of Fiji educational program in Australia has far exceeded expectations, says regional director Jo Rayawa.The highest response has been from primary schools, not from secondary schools as originally expected, he says.The second phase of the program gets underway in the third quarter of this year and the expectation is that the program overall will start to pay dividends with travel to Fiji starting in 2000.

Already a 63-strong school group from Queensland is in Fiji and a second is in the process of being confirmed.Regional and suburban newspapers in New South Wales and Queensland have also shown considerable interest in Class of Fiji, in particular the New Millennium essay competition.The launch of the program received widespread press coverage.

Mr. Josefa RayawaRegional Director The AmericasDivision: AMERICASPhone Number: 310/5681616

Fax Number: 310/670-2318

Email Address: infodesk@bulafiji-americas.com

Mr. Jo Rayawa Naulu, Regional Director Americas 5777 W. CENTURY BLVD. #220, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045 Tel: 310/568-1616 Fax: 310/670-2318 E-mail: mailto:jrayawa@bulafiji-americas.com

On November 20, 2002, Luxury Vacation Home News had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Jo Rayawa - a native Fijian and the Regional Director of the Fiji Visitors Bureau in the United States and Canada. Born and raised in the Province of Rewa on the island of Viti Levu, Rayawa joined the bureau as a marketing officer in the early 1990's and was responsible for marketing Fiji to New Zealanders.In late 1995, he left Fiji and began a three-year term as Regional Director of the Fiji Visitors Bureau in New Zealand and was later transferred to Australia, where he recently completed a four-year term as Regional Director.Within the past few months, Rayawa has relocated to Los Angeles to begin marketing and initiating growth of Fiji's tourism in the North American markets.

LVHN: What can you tell us about visitor trends in the past few years?

RAYAWA: Fiji, since the mid 1990s, broke into the 300,000 mark for total annual visitor traffic.We've been at that level ever since and progressing quite well.
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RAYAWA: This year we are looking close to a little over 400,000 for total number of arrivals.The US markets will contribute just fewer than 60,000 of that total.

LVHN: That's a significant rise in one year.What do you attribute the increase to?

RAYAWA: The Fiji Visitors Bureau, together with the Tourism Action Group, undertook a couple of strategies to try to eliminate the impact of the crisis.
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RAYAWA: As far as the North American markets are concerned, one of our biggest challenges is capacity.
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RAYAWA: We have an effective partnership plan with key wholesalers in these markets who are also part of the partnership we have with the airlines.
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RAYAWA: Fiji recognizes North America as the future for tourism.
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RAYAWA: Americans' average stay is seven to eight days.For Australians and New Zealanders, it is nine to 10 days.For Canadians, the average length of stay is about 10 days.

LVHN: What are visitors doing during their visits?

RAYAWA: The majority of U.S. visitors are getting married or celebrating their honeymoon, so they spend their days resting - enjoying a little R&R!
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RAYAWA: There are four main harbors.
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RAYAWA: Many people who stay for more than a month are likely to move from place to place.For example, they may stay two days in Nandi, then fly to an island resort for seven days, then to the northern part of Fiji for a week followed by a return to Viti Levu.It's a progressive itinerary.

LVHN: Do many visitors buy property in Fiji?

RAYAWA: Yes!
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RAYAWA: At this time, there are not a lot of high-end investment opportunities at Fiji resorts.
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RAYAWA: Yes, especially in past years.
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RAYAWA: Yes, that's right and we have a host of others.
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LVHN: Well, Mr. Rayawa, that concludes all our questions.Do you have anything else you'd like to add?

RAYAWA: I want to redirect the comment I made earlier that the North American markets are the future for Fiji.
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RAYAWA: Thanks for your time.Good-bye.

The FVB will send its Marketing Services Manager, Ilisapeci Matatolu to Australia, as its new Regional Director Australia and Mr. Jo Rayawa to the Unites States as its new Regional Director America.Mr. Rayawa is presently Regional Director Australia.

Jo Rayawa 5777 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045 800-932-3454 310-568-1616 >310-670-2318