Delegates at the Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME 2016) in Melbourne were encouraged to stick with any plans to hold a meeting or incentive in Fiji.

The expo was held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 23 – 24 February 2016. There were over 700 exhibitors.

Carlah Walton, Tourism Fiji regional director – Australia said the resorts catering to the meetings, incentive and conference sector have had minimal damage.

‘There is a lot of vegetation and debris to clean up but the structural damage is minimal.

‘The best thing people can do is keep going there, spending and putting money into the economy.’

Meetings tend to be medium to long-term business anyway.

“The country will be well into recovery mode by the time business booked at AIME is ready to travel.

‘It is not the first cyclone we have had and it won’t be the last. When it comes to this we are a well oiled machine,” Miss Walton said.

She added that many of the delegates at AIME have shown generosity and asked how they can make a donation towards the recovery.