The incident took place on Saturday, 5 April, during a “severe squall” according to initial statements from Fiji-headquartered tourism company, Blue Lagoon Cruises, when the anchor of the MV Fiji Princess was dragged towards a nearby reef, causing the grounding.

The reef in question is situated near the desert island of Monuriki, about 970 km south of the Cook Islands and just 45 km west of the city of Nadi. The Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed on Monuriki in the years 1999 and 2000. Unlike Hanks’ character Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems analyst who becomes stranded for four years after a plane crash, the cruise ship’s manifest of 30 passengers and 17 of its 31-strong crew were safely evacuated from their cruise ship by ferry early the next morning. They were taken to Denarau Island.

The ship, however, has not escaped without injury. An initial assessment by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) found “the vessel has suffered serious damage to its rear left side, including the area where the steering equipment is located. Part of the vessel underneath has also been damaged.”

@nalini.kaushal Footage showing Blue Lagoon cruise boat on the reef, apparently off Castaway Island. Chairman of South Sea Cruises Sakiusa Raivoce confirmed to Mai TV that they had a ship on the reef. He also confirmed that all passengers and crew have been safely rescued. The ship is being secured overnight as the company waits for high tide to determine further action. #Fiji #News ♬ original sound – Nalini Kaushal

The ship “also experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking in water following the grounding. Due to rough seas and strong waves, officers were unable to safely inspect the vessel underwater at the time,” a spokesperson said.

Fears of an oil spill ensued due to the 20,000 litres of diesel fuel reported to be in the ship’s tanks. With the stormy conditions preventing the fuel’s immediate removal, containment booms and other equipment were taken to the vicinity. It has now been reported that the oil has been safely recovered with the help of an Australian salvage specialist.

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Fiji is currently suffering floods, school and road closures amid tropical cyclone Vaianu, which has also prompted warnings to maritime operators and seafarers to remain vigilant and prioritise safety at all times. MSAF issued a notice to all passenger and cargo transport operations in the Western Division to cease operations effective 9 am on Tuesday local time. Flights departing and arriving at Nadi were also cancelled at the time of writing due to the adverse weather.

L’article Oil spill fears allayed after Fiji cruise stranding on reef near Cast Away island est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

One example could be drawn from Fiji, where 21 resorts across the South Pacific archipelago are inviting visitors to take part in an initiative that organisers hope could boost various sustainability projects by around 5,000 person-hours.

Loloma Hour

Tourism accounts for around 40% of Fiji’s GDP but islanders no longer simply want visitors’ money. Named for the Fijian word for “generosity through love”, Loloma Hour is a nationwide commitment by resorts and activity providers to include guests in some of the sustainability activities that they champion. All it involves is asking visitors to give at least one hour of vacation time over to caring for the land, the ocean, and “each other.”

The idea is that “True happiness comes not just from what you take, but what you give,” says Srishti Narayan, chief marketing officer, Tourism Fiji. As such, even properties marketed as luxury holiday resorts, such as InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, Kokomo Private Island Fiji, and Six Senses Fiji are signed up.

Four ways to “give back”

The scheme offers four ways to “give back”: to wildlife, to the community, to the reef, and to the coastline.

Wildlife-based efforts that visitors can get involved in include going on guided nature walks to learn about conservation and planting native trees. Community-focused activities meanwhile include taking traditional cooking classes, listening to local storytelling, and making village visits – which all help to keep local traditions alive and support rural populations.

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To give back to the reef, guests are invited to take part in marine conservation through coral planting, reef-safe snorkelling, and even simply wearing reef-safe sunscreen. And giving back to the coastline could include participating in beach clean-ups or mangrove restoration projects to help safeguard the Fijian coastal ecosystems that provide a home for marine life and protection from erosion. 

No special skills required, just time

To get involved, would-be givers of the loloma-style love can simply ask participating resorts or tours about their Loloma Hour activity. “Each property offers something unique, so you can find an experience that speaks to you,” the official Fiji travel website says, adding “there are no special skills required, just some interest and a little time.” By taking part, Tourism Fiji promises, “you’ll play a small but meaningful part in preserving everything that makes Fiji so special.”

L’article Luxury resorts in Fiji ask guests to “give back” with one hour of Loloma time est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The 69-year-old Australian woman allegedly began hurling “racist and vulgar” remarks, throwing objects and threatening passengers and crew. According to eyewitness accounts, the altercation began when the woman, travelling separately from her husband, demanded to know his location after he requested to be seated elsewhere.

“The husband requested to be seated elsewhere when the woman started to raise her voice, and the altercation between the woman and crew started when the crew refused to tell the woman where he had been moved to,” another passenger told news.com.au.

Footage from the flight shows the woman screaming as flight attendants struggled to control her. Witnesses reported that she made overtly racist remarks towards Fijian crew members and even slapped the hands of one of the crew members that was trying to calm her down.

“The other passengers were particularly upset by her overtly racist comments towards the Fijian crew members, with many calling out to the woman to be quiet and behave,” the witness added. “Parents with children onboard were clearly upset with the excessive vulgar language and swearing with many seen blocking the ears of their children.”

In the end, cabin crew managed to move the woman to the back of the plane and were “forced to resort to restraining and taping the mouth”, other passengers have explained. Even so, the unruly woman kept being disruptive throughout the entire flight. Towards the end of the flight, her husband joined her at the back of the plane, but he was also unable to calm her down.

The plane was met by local law enforcement in Fiji, who took the woman into custody. “She was intoxicated and causing nuisance to passengers,” Fiji police spokesperson, Sergeant Wame Bautolu, told news.com.au. “She has been charged on a count of Unruly passengers under the Fiji Civil Aviation Act and will be produced at the Nadi Magistrate Court tomorrow. She is under the custody of Immigration Officials.”

“We are co-operating with the relevant authorities, who are investigating an incident involving a passenger aboard flight FJ817 from San Francisco, which landed at Nadi International Airport on Jan. 20 2025, where it was met by law enforcement,” an airline spokesperson said. “At Fiji Airways, the safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority, and we uphold a zero-tolerance policy for any threatening behaviour.”

Under the Fiji Civil Aviation Act, airlines can enforce stringent measures to address passenger misconduct. Crew members are authorised to take reasonable steps to prevent behaviour that disrupts flight operations, including restraining passengers if necessary, with unruly passengers facing large fines and even imprisonment depending on the gravity of the situation.

L’article Woman restrained with duct tape after yelling racist and vulgar slurs at Fiji crew est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The group affected, whose ages range from 18 to 56, includes four Australians and three other foreign nationals. They had been drinking Piña Colada cocktails, according to The Telegraph, at the Warwick Fiji hotel, a five star resort on the Coral Coast, but started to experience nausea and “neurological symptoms”, Fiji’s Health Ministry said in a statement.

They were taken to Lautoka Hospital and five of the group had been discharged by Monday evening. Two however remained in intensive care but were in a stable condition, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame R. Gavoka said.

Was methanol to blame?

Authorities investigating what happened will no doubt be considering the possibility of methanol poisoning, following another recent bout of poisonings in Laos which resulted in the deaths of six people. Methanol, a compound that is highly toxic to humans, can form as a result of unsafe distilling practices. Ingesting even tiny amounts can have catastrophic consequences for human health, including blindness as a result of damage to the optic nerve, as well as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, unconsciousness, coma and death.

Occurring most frequently in developing nations where home distilling is popular, methanol poisoning can be avoided by never accepting drinks of unknown origin, keeping drinks covered and within sight at all times, and always checking labels on bottles for signs of forgery, such as spelling mistakes or fake logos.

However, Dr. Jemesa Tudravu, permanent secretary for Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services, refused to speculate on the cause of so many tourists being taken ill and told press it was impossible to know what had caused the most recent hospitalisations without further probing. “We don’t have the results of the investigation yet and we don’t know if it was spiking or any other cause until we complete our investigations,” he said in a briefing on Monday.

Unprecedented in 40 years of operations

The Warwick Fiji, part of The Warwick Hotels and Resorts group with operations in Europe, the Middle East, and the US, as well as in the Pacific, said in a release on Tuesday that its guests safety is something it treats “very seriously” and that the health scare was “an unprecedented event” in the hotel’s four decades of trade. 

“We are currently working jointly with the authorities to determine what caused this unfortunate incident. We are committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits our resort,” the hotel said.

L’article Seven tourists hospitalised after suspected poisoning in Fiji est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Produced in collaboration with global creative agency Host/Havas and media agency Havas Media, the new global campaign celebrates Fiji’s people and culture.

The new brand platform aims at showing travelers that the source of Fiji’s happiness comes from the island’s culture itself. Instead of promoting the destination from the perspective of tourists, the campaign casts a light on local people, its natural environment, its rich culture, and the unique experiences that travelers can enjoy while visiting the destination. 

We have always told the Fiji story from the perspective of visitors, but we wanted to flip the narrative and show that the source of happiness a Fijian holiday brings, is Fijian culture itself.

Emma Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Fiji

According to Emma Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer of Tourism Fiji, the happiness brand platform has attracted people from all over the world. 

To create the brand platform, Tourism Fiji collaborated with a series of local partners to ensure that the Fijian culture was authentically and meaningfully represented in the marketing project.

Tourism Fiji  collaborated with local artists to record music in village homes and voice overs in the three primary languages of the country (iTaukei, Fiji Hindi and English). 

The essence of the  destination was spontaneously captured in photos by renowned National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley and in film by Finch’s Kyra Bartley.

Additionally, the new logo was designed in partnership with Fjjian masi artist Wati Maraiwai Talavutu, who mixed modern typography with the traditional Fijian art form of masi.

Being given the opportunity to create a new logo that celebrates our heritage and showcases our traditions to the world has been an incredible experience.

Emma Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Fiji

The new brand message is in line with the growing visitors’ desire for authentic travel experiences that allow them to explore the local culture and connect with local communities. 

‘Where happiness comes naturally’ is rolling out in key and emerging markets with out of home advertising, TVC, a new website, and across digital and social channels.

L’article Tourism Fiji launches ‘happiness’ campaign to attract tourists est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

1. Conditions to enter Fiji

The new Omicron variant didn’t stop Fiji’s authorities from considering the reopening of borders. Instead, a strict set of rules is in place for tourists wanting to visit the Pacific Island. In particular, travelers arriving at Fiji must be vaccinated with either the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. All travelers 12 and older must show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within three days of their departure from a hospital, doctor, or lab.

Additionally, visitors need to book a minimum three-night stay at a Care Fiji Commitment-certified property, take a rapid COVID-19 test 48 hours after their arrival, and have proof of insurance that covers COVID-19. During the first 48 hours, travelers are allowed to explore, but they are asked to use Care Fiji Commitment operators and check in using QR codes.

“I want to thank the Fiji Airways staff, the Fiji Airports employees, our hotel and tourism workers, the drivers, the doctors, nurses, police officers and RFMF personnel and every other Fijian whose combined team effort helped us re-open our border to tourists this week“, said Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama on Facebook.

2. Back on track

“To see the Fiji Airways plane full up and for us to welcome those tourists today was so amazing. It was a great, great feeling and I’m glad to have been there personally”, said James Sowane, director of the Fiji tourism company Tewaka.

With nearly 90% of Fijian adults fully vaccinated, the Pacific Island felt the confidence to reopen its borders to foreign tourists from a small number of countries. “Once you arrive, you can holiday safely and enjoy the best of Fiji knowing that when sticking to Care Fiji Committed businesses, everyone you interact with will be fully vaccinated”, reads the official statement.

Although limited to a number of countries, the resumption of tourism brings significant relief to the island nation’s 1 million people, which accounts for 40% of Fiji’s economy. Since the border closure in March 2020, around 10% of the population lost their jobs.

Rejoicing over the return of tourists, Bainimarama shared warm words for the future travelers: “Today, we are proud and most importantly prepared to welcome the first tourists to fly to Fiji in almost two years. Our message to every fully vaccinated, COVID-tested traveller who arrives to our shores is simple: Welcome Home”.

We have recorded 609 COVID-19 positive patients who died from serious medical conditions they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths

Dr James Fong, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health

3. COVID-19 in Fiji

According to Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fing, the Island has officially two cases of the new Omicron variant. At stake are fully vaccinated Fijian citizens, returned from Nigeria, whose samples were sent for testing in Australia and returned positive.

Overall, Dr Fong said that since the beginning of the pandemic 52,492 cases were recorded, with 71 percent of the cases from the Central Division, 28 percent of the cases from the Western Division, and 1 percent of the cases from the Eastern and Northern Division of the Fiji Islands.

“We have recorded 609 COVID-19 positive patients who died from serious medical conditions they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths”, said Dr Fong during his regular update last December 6.

L’article Fiji resumes international travel after nearly 2 years of closed borders est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Visitors must have a negative Covid-19 test three days prior to arrival and also take a rapid test upon arrival. Returning tourists and residents will still need to undergo a two- or three-day hotel lockdown, respectively.

The relaxation of travel restrictions and quarantine requirements comes after the government launched an aggressive vaccination campaign; 96.6 percent of the target population 18 years and older received their first dose, while 80.3 percent received both doses.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the country is “fully confident in our ability to manage the risk associated with non-quarantine travel.Our aircraft are prepared. Our airports are adapted.

Every Fijian hotel and tour operator in Fiji will be certified under the Care Fiji Commitment certification program, which will require all hotels and tours to meet the highest standards of comfort, health and safety.

Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji

Bainimarama said hotels should ensure access to comfortable and well-stocked isolation facilities and medical care such as testing, routine swabs and escalation protocols in case of positive cases.

The country is already experiencing a boom in demand after the announcement, nearly two years after its borders were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our website data is up again, we’re seeing a real uptick in interest. It’s exciting and we want to encourage people to come to Fiji for Christmas and New Year’s,” said Fiji Tourism chief executive officer, Brent Hill. “While not everyone can open on December 1, the overwhelming majority of our industry and those who employ a significant number are very much behind the announcement.”

Our tourism industry has been waiting for this for a long time.

Brent Hill, Fiji Tourism chief executive officer

The government’s “no jab, no job” policy for civil servants and private sector staff, announced in July, is forcing many Fijians to get vaccinated. Fantasha Lockington, head of the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, said months of preparation went into planning for the reopening.

“The industry is keeping a close eye on our major markets of Australia and New Zealand and their own management of vaccinations and border management, as Fiji’s reopening must eventually coincide with those countries allowing their citizens to travel here,” Lockington said.

Prior to the pandemic, tourism contributed nearly 40 percent of Fiji’s gross domestic product – about fJ$2 billion (900 million euros) – and directly or indirectly employed more than 150,000 people. But as visitor arrivals fell by 87 percent, the economy dropped by 19 percent in 2020. Since 2013, tourist arrivals to Fiji had increased at an average rate of 5%.

L’article Fiji to welcome vaccinated travelers from certain countries from December 1 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.