Bulanaire campaign launched in Fiji to boost tourism industry

Fiji has launched the Bulanaire Campaign as part of efforts to boost the island nation's tourism industry.

According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Monday, Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Matthew Stoeckel said that the most important aspect of the Bulanaire Campaign is to have the faces of their own people in the industry and this campaign has been very positive since its inception last year.

Last year, the campaign generated 39 million engagements worldwide and this year 90 Bulanaires from various backgrounds have been selected to be the face of their organizations. Fiji wants to build on that success this year by expanding the program across Fiji's tourism sector to find more of Fiji's Bulanaires.

The Bulanaire Campaign is vital for Fiji's tourism industry and it is a way of attracting tourists into the island nation especially during the off peak period.

"We are very optimistic because of our industry support that our visitors will really feel that Bula spirit and share happiness with others and what we are doing on the ground to a conversation on social media," Stoeckel said.

Bula in Fiji means Hello or welcome and Bulanaire is a person who is rich in happiness and shares the Bula Spirit, a commitment to making that extra effort to ensure that the visitor enjoys the very best in hospitality, warm thoughtful service and the kindness that has made Fiji special among destinations in the world.

Bulanaires will become Happiness Ambassadors who will work with Tourism Fiji to help share the Bula Spirit with the world and reinforce why Fiji is the place where happiness finds visitors.

The Bulanaires Program was launched on March 20 last year, the International Day of Happiness. The inaugural Bulanaires list featured a small selection of local Fijians and international personalities who were rich in happiness.

Last year, the island nation received 894,389 international visitors, including 47,027 from China.

Fiji's earnings from tourism stood at over 2 billions Fijian dollars (about 907 million U.S. dollars) last year, and the government has set an ambitious target of 2.2 billion Fijian dollars (about 997 million U.S. dollars) in 2021.