| HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII - December 16, 1999 - The Outrigger
Reef Fiji Resort, currently under construction on the Coral Coast of Fiji�s
largest island, Viti Levu, has been selected to host the 2000 Bula Fiji
Tourism Exchange (BFTE) from May 16 to 19, 2000. When delegates check in
at the hotel for next year�s BFTE, they will be among the first to experience
Fiji�s newest deluxe resort.
BFTE is held annually in Fiji and brings together hundreds of international
buyers (wholesalers) with hoteliers, resort operators, airlines, ground
operators, rental car companies and other activity organizations associated
with the tourism industry in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.
| �We couldn�t have asked for a better opportunity
to introduce the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort to the movers and shakers of
the international tourism industry,� said hotel general manager Ted Hardie.
�The resort is definitely going to be one of Outrigger�s finest in the
Pacific, and we are confident that the Bula delegates will be singing the
resort�s praises following the show in May.�
According to Hardie, work on the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is moving
along at a very quick pace. �We had originally planned to open the hotel
in June 2000, but with the accelerated construction schedule, we found
ourselves in the unique opportunity of offering the Outrigger Reef Fiji
Resort as the venue for next year�s Bula Exchange,� Hardie said. �We appreciate
the confidence the BFTE Planning Committee has shown by granting us this
great honor.�
The Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is being built on the site of the original
Reef Resort in the heart of Fiji�s Coral Coast. A comfortable one hour
drive from Nadi International Airport, and just three miles from duty free
shopping in Sigakota, the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort has 207 deluxe air-conditioned
rooms, all |
Fiji�s premier trade event, the Bula Fiji
Tourism Exchange (BFTE) 2000 is set to take place from 16th-19th May 2000.
The BFTE Committee Chairman David Voss confirmed this
last week. According to Mr. Voss, they were very pleased with the results
of BFTE99 with the increase in number for both Buyer and Seller companies
registered for business. He stated that BFTE2000 will be bigger and better
with a strong focus on improving the quality of buyers and sellers. For
its 2000 event, the Committee has set a target of attracting 125 Buyer
companies and 120 Seller companies to Fiji, which is an increase of 32
percent and 15 percent respectively for Buyers and Sellers over this year�s
event.
A key attraction for Buyers has been the inclusion of
neighbouring South Pacific destinations in the event such as Tonga, Samoa,
Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. A much larger contingent
from the Pacific Islands including Tahiti is expected to participate as
Seller Destinations in next year�s event. There has also been a conscious
effort to work together with the other key trade events within the region
that happen around the same time. These include TRENZ in New Zealand, PTE
and ATE in Australia. The dates for BFTE2000 have been set prior to TRENZ,
so buyers attending BFTE can go straight through to TRENZ immediately after
BFTE and then on to ATE.
For more information on Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange 2000,
please contact the Committee Secretariat, Lillian
Allen on email: [email protected] |
with ocean views and private lanai. There are also 47 traditionally thatched,
breeze-cooled bures (bungalows) with vaulted ceilings lined with hand painted
tapa cloth, spacious vanity areas and soft tropical furnishings.
The resort is lushly landscaped and reminiscent of a traditional Fijian
village, with the individual bures nestled against a gently sloping hillside
running down to the water�s edge. There are walkways meandering throughout
the property. Thatching, along with Fijian artwork and decor, are being
used extensively throughout the hotel�s public areas and guest rooms to
enhance the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort�s sense of place.
Guest rooms, bures and suites offer the most modern amenities, Refrigerator,
color TV, clock radio, coffee maker, telephone with data port, in-room
safe, electronic door locks, daily maid service and free parking are standard
with every room. Outrigger�s exclusive Voyagers Club level of accommodations
and service, with dedicated host, a private lounge an sundeck, is also
available at the Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort.
Resort amenities include a fitness center, huge freshwater pool and
whirlpool spa, a business center, meeting space for up to 200 people, a
children�s program, travel desk, beauty salon and a selection of boutiques
and shops. There are a variety of on-site activities, including championship
tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, kayaks, paddle boards, snorkeling
equipment, horseback riding along the beach and traditional fire walking.
Innovative Fijian and Pacific island cuisine, along with Western favorites,
can be enjoyed at ht resort�s restaurants The open-air Sundowner Bar, which
overlooks the beach, offers ice-cold beverages and wood-fired gourmet pizzas
in a casual setting.
The Outrigger Reef Fiji Resort is being developed by Geoffrey Shaw of
Hillview Limited and is being managed by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts,
a division of Hawaii-based Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the largest lodging
company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the
Pacific. Outrigger currently operates or has under development 45 hotels
and resort condominiums throughout the Pacific region, representing more
than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Micronesia, Australia
and the South Pacific. Outrigger�s affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services,
manages nearly two dozen hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. mainland. |
