Resorts and hotels are exploring all avenues to ensure they are able to provide RT-PCR COVID tests to tourists upon arrival and departure.

From December 1st, Fiji will be open to all fully vaccinated travellers from Travel Partner Countries who will not need to quarantine.

When in the country, visitors will be required to take an approved COVID-19 test after 48 hours of arrival at the hotel.

They may also require COVID-19 test results to return to their countries of origin or another destination and this can be facilitated by the hotels on advance notice.

Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association Chief Executive, Fantasha Lockington says they are looking at how to manage these testing requirements.

“We must therefore consider if we get a 100,000 to 200,000 visitors in the first few months and it is looking like we will exceed this figure, can we access sufficient rapid antigen test because we must test every visitor and we must also test around 50,000 or more staff as the numbers increase on a monthly basis at least once.”

Lockington says they are factoring in all these issues to ensure they are ready to receive guests safely.

“Will there be sufficient tests available, are there currently enough labs available that can run the test, what is the capacity for each lab and can we turn around the test results so that no visitors misses their flight and then gives Fiji a bad rating that will discourage other people from returning.”

She adds these are all being discussed with operators as they race against time.

Fiji’s Travel Partners as at 22 October 2021:
Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Spain, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Vanuatu.