Fiji's tourism industry was one of the hardest hit by the global pandemic. The country had 43% fewer visitor arrivals between December 2019 and April 2020 when compared to the previous years. The restrictions on travel throughout the year and into 2021 have seen that downturn worsen and continue impacting the Fijian economy. Tourism contributes around 38% to Fiji's GDP.
Quick to pivot and put robust plans in place to protect businesses and jobs, the Fiji BPO Council, in partnership with the Fiji Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism & Transport, and the Australian Government launched ambitious plans in the latter half of 2020 to enhance their near-shore outsourcing services and attract new revenue streams to the country.
Fiji has already been recognised as a world-class location for BPO offshoring. The Pacific island won the European Outsourcing Association (EOA) Award for Destination of the Year in 2014 and received a higher ranking than key competitors Philippines and India for 'ease of doing business' by the World Bank in 2015.
Known for their well-spoken English, hospitality and collaborative attitude, Fiji is ideally placed to meet growing international demand for quality nearshoring services, including back-office administration, customer service support, IT help desk, sales and more.
Their strategic location between Asia, Australia, NZ & the US, provides businesses with a 'time-zone' advantage for 24-7 operations. Coupled with the robust infrastructure of their newly created 'Modern Economic Zone' - further supported with a business-friendly tax structure designed to attract corporate investment and innovation within Fiji, the plans to rise from the pandemic with a stronger economy are well in hand.
Despite the highly regarded accolades and numerous incentives, pro-growth policies, and efforts to attract investment and encourage economic growth that is stable and sustainable, many Australian and New Zealand businesses are simply unaware of the BPO service advantages Fiji offers.
The first class English-speaking workforce, high level of education and large talent-pool of ICT graduates make Fiji an excellent option for Australian and New Zealand businesses looking to get back on their feet and ahead of competitors after one of the hardest business years we've seen this century. Fiji's business incentives, location, cultural alignment and the can-do attitude of the Fijian workforce are a largely untapped resource that, once realized and accessed, could deliver the advantage Australian and New Zealand businesses need to put them ahead of domestic and global competitors.
