Fiji Embraces Happiness As a Way of Life, Not Just a Tourism Campaign

25.08.2023 - 13:46 / skift.com / Peden Doma Bhutia

It may seem that it took one purportedly “stereotypical” tourism campaign for Fiji to realize that happiness, a brand truth that the destination continues to highlight in all its campaigns, isn’t something that is switched on for tourists — it’s how the country lives.

However, according to Emma Campbell, Tourism Fiji’s outgoing chief marketing officer, “Happiness lives within Fiji and its people, whether tourists are there or not.”

In its “Where Happiness Comes Naturally” campaign launched this year, Fiji tourism falls back on its trusted theme of happiness as a homage to its local people, natural environments, culture, and the authentic experiences on offer.

“We felt it was important to highlight that the source of the happiness a Fijian holiday brings, is Fijian culture and the people at the heart of it,” Campbell said.

The tone is in sharp contrast to Fiji’s earlier “Open for Happiness” brand campaign, featuring Australian actress Rebel Wilson, which faced flak for perpetuating stereotypes about the island nation being a “happy brown paradise.”

The video is no longer available in Fiji’s YouTube channel.

Talking about the shift in brand positioning, Campbell said, the “Open for Happiness” campaign needed to make a big impact in the moment as Fiji was reopening alongside many similar resort destinations.

“We worked with a high-profile celebrity to help amplify the campaign, and really leaned into the insight that people were ready to escape everyday life after a turbulent time, and just have a break.”

The portrayal was however seen as an attempt to sell a stereotype.

Destination management organizations worldwide typically focus on promoting their brands on physical attributes, such as sites, infrastructure and attractions, said Oliver Martin, partner at tourism consultancy Twenty 31.

However, Martin said since the branding of global destinations have become similar and ubiquitous, it is challenging to identify a destination purely based on its advertising. “The campaigns and glossy advertisements appear to blend into one another, resulting in a sea of blandness.”

Nevertheless, some destinations have recognized the need to shift their focus from physical assets and instead develop and communicate their brand based on the personality and emotional triggers of the destination — a powerful baseline to create and nurture a destination brand, he added.

Market Development Facility’s Fiji office, an independent development implementation arm of AusAid, has hired Twenty31 to lead the development, management and analysis of an ongoing data insights program on behalf of Tourism Fiji, Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association and the ministry of trade, co-operatives, small and medium enterprises.

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