More money sought for promotion

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 25

More money sought for promotion

Lack of finance is seriously hampering tourist promotion of Fiji. Mr Paddy Doyle, general manager of the Fiji Visitors’ Bureau, confirmed that more money would be needed to ensure that the island’s SBOM industry was fully utilised.

was not increasing. “We believe that Fiji is still a good-value playground with a distinct image of its own,” he said. “We have a lot to offer at very competitive prices; a fact now appreciated by a steadily increasing number of Australians.

Mr Doyle expressed concern that the number of visitors from New Zealand

“In fact, the Australian market is good with even a greater potential and

The police in Fiji are concerned at the increasing accident rate as the roads are upgraded and sealed. For years it was impossible to travel much faster than 40 kilometres per hour, on the old road between Nandi and Sigatoka, but now that the new highway has been completed, it is not unusual to be overtaken by cars exceeding 100 kilometres per hour. This is often the result . . .

that is where we are spending our limited funds for promotion at present,” said Mr Doyle. Mr Doyle said he felt that there was a lack of rapport between the Fiji Government and the local industry. “It’s been going on for years and it is something we are trying to overcome,” he said. “For instance, we would

like to see the three per cent hotel turnover tax made available for promotion. Instead, it goes to the Government’s general revenue account.”

Over the last three years, the number of New Zealanders visiting Fiji has been falling at the rate of 4000 a year — from 37,549 in ‘1974 to 29.510 last year.