Today’s Travel section of the Wall Street Journal writes about Paradise on Sale, which focuses on the great vacation discounts available for Fiji right now. Fiji’s tourism industry is slumping due to a combination of factors, including the recession, natural catastrophes and Fiji’s political situation. Also, other South Pacific countries such as the Cook Islands have been aggressively marketing themselves, drawing away more visitors.

Hotels are discounting as much as 50% off their listed rates. Deep discounts are expected to continue into 2010, but will this solve Fiji’s problems or just make them worse?

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Accor Hotels is offering one million rooms for sale in the Asia Pacific region.  The sale starts on October 27 and ends on October 29, and the hotel rooms are available for stays between December 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010. Several Accor Hotels are participating, including ones in Fiji!

Rooms can be booked at the following site, starting on October 27th: www.accorhotels.com/supersale

Technorati Tags: accor hotels, deals, fiji

Likuliku Lagoon Resort, located in the Mamanuca archipelago of Fiji close to Nadi International Airport, is offering several special packages valid through March 31, 2010. The resort is the only Fijian resort to offer guests the romantic and luxurious experience of staying in overwater bures, and was voted in the Top 5 “Best Overseas Resort” in Luxury Travel Magazine Australia’s 2009 Gold List.

• “House of Dreams” Spa Package – Book a 3 or 5 night package with 1 hour spa treatment and bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. 3 night package starts at $1,240 per person and includes all meals.
• Summer Season Bonus – Between November 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 stay a minimum of 5 nights and receive a F$300 ($160) credit to spend on spa, boutique or activities.
• Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa Combo – Stay a minimum 2 nights at Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa with champagne breakfast, and a minimum 4 nights at Likuliku Lagoon Resort including all meals and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot on arrival.  Also receive 50% off a one-way helicopter transfer departing from Denarau for two people.

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The South Pacific offers unparalleled scuba diving sites and experiences. Today we’re shining the spotlight on one of Fiji’s most popular dive sites, Shark Reef.

Dive Site: Shark Reef Marine Reserve

Where: Off Beqa Island, Fiji

What: A huge shark feeding known as “The Big Fish Encounter”. See all kinds of shark species in one place -- blacktip, whitetip, silvertip, gray, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks. You’ll see lots of fish too, but everyone comes here for the sharks.

When: The best time to go is between July- September. You’ll avoid the rainy and cyclone (hurricane) season and have the best visibility.

How: Take an international flight to Nadi Airport. From there, Beqa Lagoon is about 150 km away by road. You can stay at Beqa Lagoon Resort, or on the main island of Viti Levu and arrange for a pick up with a dive shop, such as Aqua-Trek or Beqa Divers.

Why: If you still need convincing (I’m not sure why you would), check out this YouTube video:

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Air Pacific has sent an email reminding us about their ongoing Fare Sale. Several destinations are available, from Nadi to Sydney to Auckland. Sample roundtrip fare from Los Angeles to Nadi is $828 per person. Air Pacific also offers Fiji package deals with air + hotel. The sale ends on November 15, 2009.

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