Fiji, renowned for its stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters, offers much more opportunity for adventure than its reputation allows. With more than 300 islands in Fiji, there are untapped travel opportunities at every turn – rainforests and mountains beckon explorers inland to swim beneath roaring waterfalls, raft whitewater canyons, and summit peaks. And along the coast, travelers will find world-class opportunities for snorkeling, diving, swimming, and surfing.
Building strong marketing strategies and relationships, both with local and international partners, will help showcase each island's unique adventure offerings, develop business in the region, and increase the engagement of adventure travelers who are looking for varied experiences during their stay in Fiji.
To turn this vision into reality, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has teamed up with Tourism Fiji to create and deliver an exclusive three-week AdventureEDU virtual training course for 50 Fiji travel professionals. This dynamic program is designed to equip participants with cutting-edge skills to market their unique offerings to both trade partners and consumers. The training will also focus on building long-lasting relationships and strategic partnerships within the travel industry.
"Tourism Fiji is thrilled to sponsor and partner with the AdventureEDU Fiji program, which empowers our local travel professionals with advanced skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in today's competitive landscape. This initiative not only enhances Fiji's adventure tourism offerings but also strengthens our commitment to sustainability and community engagement," said Lucia Zeeard, Head of Destination Development for Tourism Fiji. "We believe this training will significantly contribute to the growth and resilience of our tourism industry, positioning Fiji as a premier destination for adventure travellers worldwide."
Beginning on 26 June, this training will feature five live virtual sessions that delve into Adventure Travel Trends & Concepts, B2C Marketing, B2B Marketing, and Community Building. An online self-paced program will also run simultaneously with these live virtual sessions. The self-paced program will allow participants to select an adventure travel training course, enabling them to enhance current skill sets or develop new skills that will benefit their travel business. These self-paced courses have all been created by subject matter experts in their field.
“We feel this course will be hugely beneficial to our operations, allowing us to further develop our marketing strategies, expand our sustainability commitments, and better invest in alliances with local stakeholders,” said Liz Scott, Manager at Go Dirty Tours Fiji and AdventureEDU participant.
At the end of the three-week training, a mentorship program is provided to each student on a 1-1 basis. This step of the training is crucial as it will ensure that participants are able to apply the newly acquired knowledge in their roles and thus solidify the impact of the training as they transfer it to their business. In this training phase, each participant is matched with a mentor based on their desired skill development and its implementation in their role. A thorough assessment of each participant's current and developing skills will first be made to determine the perfect mentor match for them.
“AdventureEDU Fiji will provide our employees with the latest strategies in tourism marketing and help design eco-friendly adventure itineraries, aligning with global trends and sustainability goals,” said Livai Volavola from Tour Managers Fiji, who is also participating in the training. “The mentorship and access to ATTA's extensive course library will enable our employees to implement best practices in risk management, digital transformation, and business management. These skills are crucial for positioning our business competitively in the global market and fostering strong local alliances, ultimately contributing to the growth and resilience of the Fijian tourism industry.”
This AdventureEDU training will be delivered by three adventure travel experts and leaders:
- Dan Moore has more than twenty years of experience as a professional travel guide, workshop facilitator, and entrepreneur. Moore has designed and facilitated numerous cutting-edge training courses and workshops for communities perched on the frontline of adventure tourism.
- Richard Edwards is the founder of GreenSpot.travel, which has been recognized as a Top Travel Specialist company since 2006. With his impressive 20 years of experience as Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships Sales, Edwards has provided marketing consulting services to international, national, and regional tourism organizations.
- Russell Walters is president of Northern Outdoors, a four-season Adventure Resort in Maine, and is also Regional Director of North America for the Adventure Travel Trade Association. In his line of work, Walters has created and led several sustainability programs and workshops in the Philippines, Brazil, Jordan, the Western Balkans, New York, Colorado, and most recently, Florida.
This training program built in collaboration with Tourism Fiji marks a significant milestone in expanding business and trade opportunities within Fiji’s adventure travel sector. The diverse and breathtaking Fijian landscapes promise unparalleled adventures for thrill-seekers now and into the future. This training will be an important stepping-stone to preparing Fijian adventure professionals for this tourism expansion.
About AdventureEDU
AdventureEDU is the hands-on learning program of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. The program portfolio includes a wide range of enabling solutions that align with the needs of adventure travel professionals from destinations in their early stages of growth to destinations that are leading in the global marketplace.
AdventureEDU programs are designed to advance the market preparedness of destinations, companies, and entrepreneurs seeking positioning in the global adventure travel industry. The focus is placed entirely on the actions, solutions, and tools that are relevant to the participants’ daily professional realities in the particular local context. The programs are offered in different formats: short webinars/meet the experts, online self-paced courses, and virtual programs tailored to destinations or specific audiences.
Learn more about our AdventureEDU programs, or contact Murray Bartholomew at [email protected] to begin a conversation.