south pacific
37
T
he South Pacifi c will always appeal as a romantic, ultra-faraway, almost mystical destination, an image developed
from fi lms, books and a certain famous old Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. But for the travel industry this remoteness brings challenges, and with some air links having been withdrawn over the last decade the South Pacifi c is increasingly seen primarily as an add-on to New Zealand or Australia or as part of a round-the-world tour. If you want to go straight there then the main access from the UK is via Los Angeles, with eight fl ights a week by Fiji Airways to Nadi (Fiji), where connections are available to some other destinations. Air New Zealand also has a weekly direct fl ight from LA to Rarotonga (Cook Islands), while Air France operates from Paris to Papeete (Tahiti) via LA. Air Tahiti Nui also fl ies from the LA hub. More passengers are now travelling to Fiji
via Asia, with Fiji Airways (formerly known as Air Pacifi c) starting non-stop fl ights from
Hong Kong a few years ago, and Korean Air also operating from Seoul. There are also some options from Singapore, and several carriers have codeshare agreements on South Pacifi c routes. But New Zealand and Australia are increasingly being combined with the South Pacifi c, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia being major carriers. The most popular destinations of Fiji, Samoa and Rarotonga can all be reached in under four hours from Auckland, and it is these destinations – plus Tahiti in French Polynesia – which attract the vast majority of UK visitors. But there are many more island nations to
explore, with 18 of them affi liated to the South Pacifi c Tourism Organisation whose website (spto. org) is a good source of information about the region as a whole. It also operates its own agent training programme: South Pacifi c Specialist. Fiji has the biggest tourist volume because it has the widest spread of resorts and the best air connections, being one of the biggest ‘fl y and fl op’ destinations for Australians and New Zealanders. The South Pacifi c as a whole receives around
1.5 million international visitors with about half of these going to Fiji, and although the UK contingent is small it is growing. “Visitor arrivals from the UK are up for the 12 months to May 2014, by just under seven per cent, and we think we will fi nish at 25,000 arrivals this year,” says Jane West, Tourism Fiji UK Representative. “Fiji Airways has increased frequency from Los Angeles to eight times per week and it has always fl own daily from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.” Fiji alone is comprised of over 300 islands, and while the two main islands of Viti Levu (where the main international airport of Nadi is located) and Vanua Levu account for most visitors, others spread far and wide especially to the resort islands of the Mamanuca group which are easily accessible from Port Denarau, near Nadi. Inter-island transfers are part of the fun with options including catamarans, seaplanes and helicopters. The spread-out nature of the South Pacifi c generally and Fiji in particular means it is ideal for cruising, which has grown rapidly in recent years.
South Pacific Stopping over
With sea, sand, watersports and accommodation ranging from luxury resorts to simple stays right on the beach, the South Pacifi c islands look set to maintain their ultra-romantic aura, says Dave Richardson
sellingtravel.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108