TVNZ Breakfast Crew Showcase Fabulous Fiji

Tourism Fiji hosted a successful media project bringing in the TVNZ Breakfast Show crew to attract more New Zealanders to holiday in the country. The week-long media initiative, from May 21-28, was strategically planned to showcase that Fiji is back in business – fabulous as ever to receive more Kiwis to its shores. Tourism Fiji Regional Director New Zealand, Wayne Deed said: “The show was a great success. “With winter really setting in here in New Zealand, it was perfect timing to showcase the warmth and happiness of Fiji. “At the same time showing it is business as usual and encouraging Kiwis to book a holiday in Fiji.” The key objectives of hosting the TVNZ Breakfast crew was to highlight how the tourism infrastructure most popular with New Zealanders was up and running. As well as have the Breakfast Show weather presenter, Sam Wallace, do daily morning live weather broadcasts plus daily pre-recorded stories around specific themes e.g. food, water activities, school and village visits with the kids. Mr Wallace broadcast live daily from the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort, Yatule Beach Resort, Musket Cove Island Resort, and for two days from Paradise Cove Resort in the Yasawa Islands. A series of other stories also ran throughout the week with the first featuring Adrenalin watersports at Denarau beach and finishing off the day with a local meal at Tu’s Place. Fishing off Namotu Island Resort followed next, with Mr Wallace and the resort chef cooking up the catch on the barbeque back at the resort. The crew then boarded the Sigatoka River Safari, which turned out to be a favourite for Mr Wallace after he joined a very enthusiastic ‘grandma’ on the dance floor at Navula Village. Once the crew reached the Yasawa Islands it was swimming with manta rays and a visit to Soso Village and primary school where rugby balls donated by Silverdale Rugby Club were a hit with the kids. Rosie Holidays transported the crew and their 27 bags of heavy and odd shape luggage throughout the week with Mr Wallace chiming in on the microphone as tour guide along the way! The average daily viewer numbers for Breakfast TV is 427,500 people nationwide so the ‘Fiji is open’ messaging reach throughout New Zealand daily was huge. The project also included coverage on the TVNZ website, Facebook and acquisition of the competition database for a further reconnect by Tourism Fiji. During the broadcast week, Breakfast viewers also had the chance to win a trip for two to Musket Cove, a huge 12,000 entries were received for the competition.