TravTalk India Online Magazine
Carey Osborne, Cluster General Manager, Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa and DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, Sonaisali Island, shares her views on the India market and explains why the two properties will appeal to the luxury Indian clientele.
Hazel Jain
The beautiful 349-key Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa is spread across 2.5 km of beach on Denarau Island. While the destination is tyring to tap the India market, the 18-year old hotel too is aiming for its share of the cake. Carey Osborne, Cluster General Manager, Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa and Doubletree Resort by Hilton Hotel Fiji, Sonaisali Island, said, “India is still an emerging market for our property, but we see some guests coming from India. There is a comfort factor – because Fiji has a strong connection with India culturally. We have a lot of Indo-Fijian team members and staff. We have an Indian chef, and the owners are also Indo-Fijian.” The hotel is aware of the dietary requirements of Indian guests. “Some want Jain food, or vegan food, or vegetarian. We can adapt our menus. There are a lot of possibilities that the India market offers,” Osborne added.
Fiji is predominantly an Australia-New Zealand market, with a bit of inbound from the USA and China. “Now, we see a lot more North Americans, and China is stronger. We would also like to start tapping India. I met a few travel agents from India in Fiji, and they expressed interest in our product. The discussion was very educational. We would love to explore this market more. Their clients feel safe and comfortable staying with a known brand,” she claimed.
Great for multi-generational families
Travel behaviour has changed since COVID with more multi-generational travel these days. “In our hotel, we have one-bedroom, two-bedroom, villas, penthouses, 22 villa blocks with their own shared plunge pool, private residences with their own pool. It’s great for families, and suits Indians very well. We can offer eight different rooms in a single block. It gives us a lot of flexibility as against the traditional hotel model,” she said.
Smaller incentive groups
While Fiji is a leisure destination, Osborne is also hoping to attract small incentive groups, as well as large Indian weddings.
