Why Fiji is Number One For Australian Travellers

Sitting in air conditioning all day, getting paid to talk, makes Tourist Transport Fiji driver feel like the prime minister in parliament.

Abdul’s only been back behind the wheel since Fiji opened up on December 1.

“When you travellers were gone, I went into construction just to feed my kids,” he says.

“But I’m over 50, it was hard work and there was little money.”

Driver, Bawan Sharin, lost his car, then his house, unable to meet repayments with meagre part-time work available when COVID shut down Fiji’s tourism.

“A lot of us have worked in tourism since we left school,” he says.

“That’s all we know.

“Then there were no tourists.”

Now Fiji’s resorts are full of Australians after the country became the first Pacific nation to open to Australian tourists quarantine-free.

Late last year, any vaccinated Australian visitor could enter the country if they passed a pre-departure PCR or Rapid Antigen Test and a subsequent RAT within their resort 48 hours later.

In further good news, this changed to 24 hours from April 7.

In the first few months since international borders opened, Fiji has become Australia’s number one overseas destination by a considerable margin.

Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer, Brent Hill.

Fly

Fiji Airways flies twice daily to Fiji from Sydney from April 1; five times a week from Melbourne, and three times a week from Brisbane.

See fijiairways.com Virgin (virginaustralia.com.au), Jetstar (jetstar.com.au) and Qantas (qantas.com.au) fly from Australia’s east coast.

Health

From April 7, all vaccinated travellers are allowed into Fiji provided they complete a pre-departure PCR or RAT, and have a pre-booked RAT within 24 hours of arrival.

Guests no longer have to have a pre-booked three night stay at a Care Fiji Commitment hotel.

Feedback: ranobab@fijisun.com.fj