Fiji Visitors BureauMarketing Summit

February 2006

Namale Resort

A look at weddings and MICE from the Australian marketplace

Topics for today

2004 International Visitor Survey

Key performance measures for Australia

2005 presentation by Tebbutt Research on Friday 10th February

in Nadi @ Tanoa International

Fiji Visitors Bureau research projects

MICE

Weddings

Visitors

2004 was a 16.1% increase in visitors on 2003

A 15.2% increase in ‘person days’

Most improved countries are

New Zealand up 32.3%

Canada up 19.8%

Australia up 18.5%

USA up 14.2%

Australia and New Zealand make up 52.4% of

all visitors

Travel group

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

AUS 18% 2% 10% 2% 15% 53%

NZ 17% 4% 9% 1% 16% 53%

USA 29% 0% 11% 2% 3% 55%

Self Alone Other Composition Self And Friend Self And Children Self, Partner And

Children Self And Partner

How the booking was made

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

AUS 81% 7% 1% 4% 3% 1% 1% 2%

NZ 83% 7% 1% 4% 3% 1% 1% 0%

USA 61% 14% 3% 16% 4% 1% 1% 0%

Travel Agent Direct With

Hotel No Booking

Made Internet Airline

Hotel Booking Service

Relatives In Fij i

Other

Reasons for visiting

Two questions

Main reason for your

visit

Holiday

Business

Conference

Education/training

VFR

Other

When the answer is

‘holiday’, what type of

holiday

Rest and relaxation

Honeymoon

Wedding

Wedding anniversary

Sports

Other

Expenditure by ‘main reason for visiting

Total expenditure Australia RatioTotal $ 602,813,051 $ 234,358,364 39%Holiday 543,948,302$ 220,466,302$ 41%Business 28,223,434$ 5,650,929$ 20%Conference 9,721,394$ 3,530,111$ 36%Education/training 3,014,503$ 830,459$ 28%VFR 9,702,710$ 3,337,059$ 34%Other 8,202,707$ 543,505$ 7%

Total average expenditure Australia Ratio

Average $ 1,396.45 $ 1,568.89 112%Holiday 1,433.66$ 1,593.99$ 111%Business 1,557.66$ 1,043.61$ 67%Conference 1,411.35$ 1,493.86$ 106%Education/training 1,624.94$ 1,344.89$ 83%VFR 1,035.77$ 1,182.04$ 114%Other 443.05$ 247.20$ 56%

Expenditure by ‘main reason for visiting

Total expenditure Australia RatioTotal $ 602,813,051 $ 234,358,364 39%Holiday 543,948,302$ 220,466,302$ 41%Business 28,223,434$ 5,650,929$ 20%Conference 9,721,394$ 3,530,111$ 36%Education/training 3,014,503$ 830,459$ 28%VFR 9,702,710$ 3,337,059$ 34%Other 8,202,707$ 543,505$ 7%

Total average expenditure Australia Ratio

Average $ 1,396.45 $ 1,568.89 112%Holiday 1,433.66$ 1,593.99$ 111%Business 1,557.66$ 1,043.61$ 67%Conference 1,411.35$ 1,493.86$ 106%Education/training 1,624.94$ 1,344.89$ 83%VFR 1,035.77$ 1,182.04$ 114%Other 443.05$ 247.20$ 56%

Expenditure by ‘type of holiday’

Total expenditure Australia RatioTotal 543,948,302$ 220,466,302$ 41%Rest and relaxation 408,881,461$ 160,121,308$ 39%Honeymoon 87,220,186$ 46,574,588$ 53%Wedding 9,456,986$ 8,354,740$ 88%Wedding anniversary 265,416$ 0%Sports 27,637,014$ 672,517$ 2%Other 10,487,239$ 4,743,179$ 45%

Total average expenditure Australia Ratio

Average holiday 1,433.66$ 1,594$ 111%Rest and relaxation 1,356$ 1,514$ 112%Honeymoon 1,925$ 2,032$ 106%Wedding 1,530$ 1,281$ 84%Wedding anniversary 1,891$ -$ 0%Sports 2,251$ 1,918$ 85%Other 1,144$ 1,737$ 152%

Expenditure by ‘type of holiday’

Total expenditure Australia RatioTotal 543,948,302$ 220,466,302$ 41%Rest and relaxation 408,881,461$ 160,121,308$ 39%Honeymoon 87,220,186$ 46,574,588$ 53%Wedding 9,456,986$ 8,354,740$ 88%Wedding anniversary 265,416$ 0%Sports 27,637,014$ 672,517$ 2%Other 10,487,239$ 4,743,179$ 45%

Total average expenditure Australia Ratio

Average holiday 1,433.66$ 1,594$ 111%Rest and relaxation 1,356$ 1,514$ 112%Honeymoon 1,925$ 2,032$ 106%Wedding 1,530$ 1,281$ 84%Wedding anniversary 1,891$ -$ 0%Sports 2,251$ 1,918$ 85%Other 1,144$ 1,737$ 152%

MICEMeetingsIncentivesConferencesExhibitions

A work in progress…

Previous research completed in 2001

2006 qualitative stage completed

A ‘first look’ at findings

Quantitative stage to complete

Issues will be quantified

The outcome of this research is to

provide a ‘roadmap’ for further

development of the Fijian MICE

market.

Allows efficient, economical, relevant and on-target

promotion of Fiji to PCOs

Definitions; PCO / DMC / BDM

Incentives

A reward for work

eg exceeding targets

Fun

Conference element

Sometimes for ‘compliance’

Sometimes taken very seriously

Creative

Lasting memory

Partners

“An incentive it is

effectively a holiday that

they have earned

because they have

worked their butts off to

get to a certain stage”

Conferences

Much more complex and

challenging than incentives

Tend to be larger

Serious business

All day

Tight timing

Delegates from everywhere

Equipment

Break-out spaces

Interesting food

Easy access to food

Quality wine list

Service, service, service,

service

What must a destination/property offer?

Safety

High quality audio visual Staging Connections critical to success

Service

Excitement

Business services Data projector

Good sound

Sound proof rooms

Broadband internet

Photocopier

Airlines Quality and schedule

Activities

Issues for PCOs

Safety

Paramount

Budgets

Everyone is pressured

Destinations

Flight schedules

Conference delegates come

from many places

Issues for Fiji

Lack of PCO confidence

Little things not right in quotes

Lack of follow up on quotes What will happen at the event?

“Sometimes I don't think they see

the big picture and the importance

of the group in the hotel”

Activities

“Twenty pages of the same things”

Limited shopping

Limited spas

Limited partner activities

Political stability

Recent cancellation of groups

Safety is paramount Can’t lose key executives

Food & beverage

Not exciting

Never Indian food PCOs wonder why?

Issues for Fiji

Service levels

Feel these are lower than they

should be

Want ‘snappy service’ …but still like Fiji relaxation

Expensive destination

Perceived high cost of

accommodation

PCOs hoped Denarau development

would lead to lower costs

Island economy can’t be the same

as Asia…but that is the competition

Opportunities for Fiji

Be hungry for business Can’t follow up too often

Aggressive sales

Ask; why did we lose this

event?

Promotional items Small promo pieces for building

excitement These can be charged for

Lots of pictures High quality / high resolution

Important for PCOs and their clients

Sell the experience Activities that integrate into

community

Be careful that events don’t feel

‘manufactured’

PCO famils “Make sure you do your

homework and abide by the

‘Golden Rule’ – never select a

venue without having seen it in

person!” Main Event February 2006

Situation

Fiji not ‘on the map’ in 2001

In 2006 Fiji is a serious

player

Asian safety issues have helped

Room to grow and prosper

…also room to lose business to Asia

FVB known and respected

Plant in place

Key deliverables in place

Weddings

Some statistics on marriage from Australia

In Australia in 2004 $4.5

billion was spent on

weddings.

Average wedding spend is $36,234

This figure has grown by 19% since

2001

Source Cost of Love, Bride to Be

In 2003 there were 106,400

marriages in Australia

Source ABS

What does this have to do with Fiji

Source: Cost of Love Survey Bride to Be Magazine

Arrival Figures, Bureau of Statistics (Fiji)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Monthly % Visitors

What does this have to do with Fiji

Source: Cost of Love Survey Bride to Be Magazine

Arrival Figures, Bureau of Statistics (Fiji)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Monthly % Visitors

Popular months for weddings in Australia are the less popular months for Fiji tourism

Why go overseas?

Avoid the hassles

Simple and easy

Organised for you

Organising a wedding is usually

very time consuming

Lots of meetings

Avoid people

The extended family

Dubious friends

Hangers on

Its much cheaper

Average cost Bride to Be

$36,000

Average cost respondents

$16,000

No pressure

No compromises

Who comes / who pays?

Who comes

Close family

Real friends

The unvitation

Who pays

Bride and groom pay for close

family

Friends and others pay for

themselves

How a destination is chosen

Previous visit

Particularly if seen a wedding

Offered as a service by

properties

Easy to understand package

Internet is critical

Las Vegas very successful

Many bypassing travel agents

completely

An independent spirit

No one used Bridal Shows

No one used bridal magazines

Bridal Shows successful for Fiji,

Is there a huge untapped market

All research participants

avoided travel agents

All booking done online

NB: Qualitative research

is not representative

What can we learn from this?

Key findings

MICE and weddings require special

services

Can’t be an afterthought

Are these markets for you?

Both need special attention and focus

Incentives the entry point to MICE

Conferences more demanding

Can you support a conference?

Unsuccessful MICE events can be damaging to your

reputation

Contact details

Neil Stollznow

PO Box 16

Level 2/156 Military Rd

Neutral Bay NSW 2089

T +61 2 9953 7543

F +61 2 9953 7563

M +61 412 200 235

neil@stollznow.com.au

www.stollznow.com.au