The recent spiking of drinks at the Warwick Resort was horrific — not just for the victims involved but for Fiji and our tourism industry. The news quickly became the number one trending story in Australia, with the Daily Telegraph headline reading: Poison Colada.
In a highly competitive global tourism market, this was nothing short of a disaster — a crisis requiring a highly proficient mitigation strategy. Tourism Fiji once again proved, as it has for the last decade, that it completely lacks proper public relations and communications expertise — a problem the Coalition Government has been grappling with since the beginning of their tenure.
We had some comments and tweets from the minister and a couple of news articles, but there was no decisive action or authoritative statements to give potential tourists peace of mind about their safety when coming to Fiji. The authorities investigating this incident needed to give daily press briefings to keep the world updated on the process.
In fact, I would argue that their latest statement — saying the drinks were not spiked — made matters worse rather than better, because now we’re all wondering if there’s something worse at play.
We love our tourism industry and love to boast about it, but the reality is that it is underperforming. It has been for many years now, largely due to very weak marketing.
We don’t rank anywhere near the top in tourism numbers or earnings, though it would be unfair to compare us to the “big dogs”. However, even with our competitors like Bali and the Maldives, they are ahead of us in every measurable metric.
Our strategic goal should be to close these gaps and eventually become the best. I remember a few years ago Tourism Fiji released a PR campaign called “Fiji, where happiness finds you”. In it, they ran an advertisement featuring school kids riding local buses. I thought to myself, what a silly campaign to run.
Meanwhile, our competitors with their white sandy beaches are running campaigns showcasing beautiful models in bikinis enjoying various activities, trying every strategy to maximise their tourism numbers. Now, I understand this may irk some people, but the reality is that most potential tourists, when planning a holiday, are not looking to come and see local buses.
We’ve also done baffling things like hiring B-listers like Rebel Wilson as our brand ambassadors. Maybe we didn’t have the budget to hire Chris Hemsworth, but why spend for the sake of spending?
Of course, many people will disagree with this opinion, but the numbers speak for themselves. Tourism is very much a global industry, and we are competing with every country on Earth. If we don’t treat it like a proper business and stop becoming sentimental, our growth will continue to be limited.
We are fortunate that hotels and travel agencies in various countries do their own marketing, but inefficiency from our main tourism body should not be acceptable — considering it is currently the backbone of our economy.
The lack of marketing and communications expertise is glaringly apparent in Tourism Fiji, and this current crisis has exposed them completely.
The damage caused by the poisoned drinks incident cannot be overstated.
International newspapers have sensationalised the story, with some highlighting that a mother and daughter almost died — a personal detail that brings a family tragedy into the global spotlight.
This type of coverage not only tarnishes Fiji’s image as a safe and beautiful holiday destination but also sows fear and uncertainty among potential visitors.
Many will no doubt cancel their trips or opt for alternative destinations.
Don’t forget that earlier, USA, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Canada issued travel warning to Fiji due to crime and sexual harassment faced by tourists.
We are dangerously building a bad reputation and the authorities including the police need to step up very quickly.
Authorities need to step up, project strength, and take decisive action.
This includes holding Warwick accountable if necessary, ensuring that clear safety protocols are in place, and delivering strong and regular public statements to reassure tourists that Fiji is both safe and prepared to handle such crises.
We must show potential visitors that Fiji is not only safe but takes any threat to their safety seriously.
Without this being done immediately, I’m afraid the long-term damage to our tourism industry could be catastrophic.
While Fiji holds a unique position in the South Pacific with its rich culture and natural beauty, there is a clear need for enhanced marketing strategies and crisis management to compete effectively with our competitors.
With this, I would like to wish all a very merry Christmas.
Until next week, take care and be safe!
ARNOLD CHANEL is an investor and business executive with years of tech expertise. He can be contacted on [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are his and not of this newspaper.
This post was originally published on here
