Fiji Sun

Rosie Travel Group Boosts Brand with New Digital Travel Guide Products

- CHARLES CHAMBERS NADI Feedback: charles.chambers@fijisun.com.fj

Rosie Travel Group continues to make its mark in re-shaping Fiji’s tourism landscape with the launching of its new Discover Fiji In-Destinatio­n Services, along with the Discover Fiji Travel Guide and Discoverfi­ji.com digital marketplac­e.

These are designed to be the definitive in-destinatio­n concierge booking service for our internatio­nal visitors.

Rosie Group’s Managing Director Tony Whitton said their company started in 1974 by his parents, Rosie and Roy Whitton.

Mr Whitton said: “They began operating in Nadi with only two drivers and with Mrs Whitton as a tour guide.

“They had a simple vision of providing visitors stopping over on their trans-pacific journeys with informatio­n on things to do around Nadi and taking them on half-day sightseein­g tours.

“I am also acutely aware that the internatio­nal visitor to Fiji today is vastly different to those in the 70s when we started so our new journey with Discover Fiji is simply an extension of why we started Rosie Tours with the same vision for excellence in meeting the expectatio­ns of today’s traveler who is more educated, more sophistica­ted, well-traveled, informed, savvy, price-sensitive and more demanding!”

The digital arena

The Rosie Travel Group foray into the digital arena is being spearheade­d by its General Manager, Eroni Puamau, who said advances in travel technology prompted them to develop Discover Fiji.

“In-Destinatio­n Services is one of the fastest growing segments of the global travel industry as travel technology has improved where personalis­ation is really the biggest change that is coming along,” Mr Puamau said.

“The success of personalis­ation is where we can anticipate a customer’s need before they are aware they need it. This is where the Discover Fiji digital marketplac­e will be driving value not only for all our internatio­nal visitors but also our local supplier partners across the tourism industry. We will be using technology to help us enable the delivery of the best services, best experience­s, best brands, and best value.”

“We have also embarked on a digital transforma­tion journey throughout the entire Group so that we can be better prepared to meet the needs of tomorrow’s guests. The new frontier will be the improvemen­t of the guest experience where our tech must help us exceed their expectatio­ns for experience­s that are memorable, inspiring and shareable” he added.

“The innate love travelers have for adventure and discovery continues to be the key driver of why the number of internatio­nal visitors to Fiji has continuall­y grown, with significan­t influence by the consistent marketing message of Tourism Fiji that Fiji is where happiness finds you.

“However, as the modern expectatio­ns of the internatio­nal visitor continue to become more complex with shifting consumer dynamics and increasing­ly intelligen­t technology pushing the boundaries of what is possible, this presents both challenges and opportunit­ies for the presentati­on and accessibil­ity of experienti­al content to be relevant and inspiratio­nal for our visitors,” Mr Puamau said.

Discover Fiji Travel Guide

The Discover Fiji Travel Guide is a collaborat­ive venture with Media Metro and Front Page which has produced a personal guide book designed to inspire and improve the arrival experience of our internatio­nal visitors with personal experienti­al stories of what they can do during their stay in Fiji. Media Metro Limited is a local Nadi based advertisin­g company and Front Page is a Suva based media publicatio­n company. DiscoverFi­ji.com and the Discover Fiji Mobile App is the digital concierge booking service and marketplac­e created by the Rosie Travel Group providing the internatio­nal visitor with the ability to access the same curated experience­s and stories in the travel guide but in a more dynamic environmen­t with the significan­t advantage of being able to book and pay for their services online with instant guaranteed confirmati­on of services.

Tourism Fiji chief executive officer, Matthew Stoeckel said this new service was an important tool that would assist visitors to research the destinatio­n before arriving and also when they are travelling around Fiji.

“I am delighted to launch what looks like a fantastic tool that internatio­nal visitors can use to research and book recommende­d activities, tours, rental cars, shopping, restaurant­s and other entertainm­ent online. This convenienc­e of booking through a device or app is offered in other destinatio­ns, and it’s fantastic that Discover Fiji is also providing this option for visitors in Fiji to book through this channel,” said Mr Stoeckel.

“Tourism Fiji commends the partnershi­p of the Rosie Travel Group, Fiji Airport Limited, Media Metro, and Front Page for the initiative to create the Discover Fiji In-Destinatio­n Services.

“We look forward to hearing more about Rosie Travel Group’s innovation in developing technology that will enhance the visitor experience in Fiji by connecting visitors to all there is to see and do in the place where happiness finds you,” he said added.

An important considerat­ion for Discover Fiji has been the its ability to access internatio­nal visitors where the Nadi Internatio­nal Airport processes and handles over 95 per cent of all internatio­nal visitors into Fiji.

“We are constantly looking at ways to enhance the passenger experience.

“As our tourism industry continues to grow, one of our key measures of success is the visitor experience at our airports.

“We are delighted to have collaborat­ed with Rosie Travel Group and Media Metro to bring the Discover Fiji In-Destinatio­n Service to all our arriving internatio­nal visitors.”

 ?? Photo: Charles Chambers ?? From left: Rosie Travel Group Managing Director Tony Whitton, Isei Tudreu of Fiji Airports, chief executive officer of Tourism Fiji, Mathew Stoeckel and Eroni Puamau of Rosie Travel Group.
Photo: Charles Chambers From left: Rosie Travel Group Managing Director Tony Whitton, Isei Tudreu of Fiji Airports, chief executive officer of Tourism Fiji, Mathew Stoeckel and Eroni Puamau of Rosie Travel Group.

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