Vijay Singh during last year’s Fiji International at the Natadola Bay Golf Course. Photo: Fiji International
Fiji will again host the fifth PGA Fiji International Golf Championships at Natadola Bay from August 2-5, with this year seeing an increase in the number of countries that will view the event. Also, this year’s event offers a prizemoney of AUD$1.25 million ( 1969812.10 FJD$)
This global sporting event will again create the magnificent opportunity for the world to once again see the spectacular Natadola Bay topographical coastline and Fiji’s magical splendour.
According to broadcast data, since the very first PGA Fiji International event in 2014, the television broadcast of this sporting event has risen from 25 countries in 2014 to 46 countries in 2017, meaning more countries than 2017 will be watching Fiji over this televised event from 2 August to 5 August 2018.
Most remarkably, the cumulative global broadcast hours of the PGA Fiji International have increased from 461 hours in 2014 to 1361 hours in 2017, moreover, the potential household reach of this mighty Fijian international event has jumped from prospective 321 million homes to potentially 565 million homes in 2017.
The markets covered include North America, Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East and Central and South America.
A phenomenal and unprecedented marketing effort arguably never achieved by any hosted event in Fiji.
Golf as we all know is the sport of the rich and famous. Some say it is the modern sport of the kings.
“Harnessing Fiji’s tourism strategy to this fascinating and growing haughtiness known as golf was the cleverest tourism idea concocted by the Bainimarama government, said internationally respected business leader and founder of the PGA Fiji International, Vincent Vasu Nair who was recently in Fiji meeting with the Fijian Government.
“The return on Fiji’s investment into the PGA Fiji International is mind blowing to say the least and positive sentiments are echoed across the tourism value chain of businesses enjoying the rewards of a strong Fiji tourism industry.
“The PGA Fiji International Golf Championships continues to grow bigger and bigger each year supporting the growth of Fiji’s tourism industry which is growing bigger and bigger by the day.
“The unprecedented growth in tourism since 2013 when annual visitor numbers to Fiji were approximately 650,000 to where it is today, with nearly 880,000 visitors coming to our shores supported by one in three Fijians employed in the tourism industry today, well and truly supports the Bainimarama government’s strategy to upkeep the PGA Fiji International Golf Championships and its outstanding television media value.
“To top this off, tourism earnings in 2013 were approximately $1.3b compared to 2017 of a well appreciated and nearly $1.7b and predictably racing away to the Fiji Tourism Ministry’s goal of $2b.
“For many decades, Fiji’s natural assets such as our hotels, resorts, beaches, people, culture and collective tourism products struggled with finding an affordable broadcast “channel” to showcase Fiji to overseas targeted countries,” commented Hong Kong-based Mr Nair who has successfully led Fortune 500 companies in the fastest growing Asia Pacific region which now boasts three of the five biggest world super-power economies in China, India and Japan.
“Television is the greatest and most successful marketing channel and not always affordable,” Nair said.
“All our nation Fiji could afford over many decades were restricted multimedia sound bites and conservative marketing of Fiji through traditional and physical channels.”
“The strategic value of tourism marketing was never understood by previous governments until the current government came along, connected the dots and worked out the economics and here we are, the tourism industry has become Fiji’s GDP anchor.
“Under Tourism Minister Faiyaz Koya’s watch, Fiji tourism has had unparalleled and exceptional evolutionary progress, never before in Fiji’s history or in any country’s history I know.
Nair led the resurgence of tech giant WIPRO Technologies, India’s largest BPO, Systems Integrator and IT Managed Services company in Australia and New Zealand.
“We cannot lose this tourism momentum in Fiji and we cannot slowdown Fiji’s progress regardless of unconscious government critics who continue to misunderstand growth economics and are oblivious to facts and data”.
Fiji is now enjoying the fruits of partnering with internationally credentialed sporting organisations such as the iconic PGA and World Rugby in hosting significant internationally sanctioned major events which comes with its loyal followers, devotees and modern multimedia channel exposures.
Fiji is indeed rewarded with the rapid growth of the tourism industry with progressive employment opportunities created with the rise of hotels, resorts, sub-economies emergent along the shoreline of our great nation.
ends
Edited by Leone Cabenatabua
Feedback: charles.chambers@fijisun.com.fj
