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The Society of Fiji Travel Assocites (SOFTA) was founded in 1967 and has played an integral leading role in the affairs of the tourism industry over the years.
SOFTA has a wide spectrum of tourism industry members namely, Inbound Tour Operators, Transport Operators, Rental Car Operators, Accommodated and Scheduled Cruise Operators, Domestic Airline Operators, Tour Attraction Operators. Associate members include Tourism Development and Tourism IT companies.
Of the 500,000 plus visitors to Fiji for Tourism purpose, over 80% buy a product or enjoy a service provided by a SOFTA member. From a hotel or resort room, accommodated cruise to the mystical Yasawa Islands, airport meet and greet, deluxe transportation, rental cars, domestic air ticket, helicopter tansfer or tour, village or waterfall tours, hiking tour, day cruises or scuba diving - these are all (to name a few) services provided by our members who are recognised reputable providers of tourism services in Fiji for the past 40 years.
For the past seven years, SOFTA President Damend Goundar was appointed as Chairman of the Tourism Action Group (TAG) a consolidated committee of leading industry members that was formed after the 2000 civilian led coup to work with local suppliers, airlines and international tour wholesalers to revive Fiji's tourism visitor arrivals.
This was the same strategic approach and function following the military led coup of 5th December 2006 and SOFTA members further supported the activities of TAG by way of heavy discounting of its products and services to follow suit the comitment of our hotel and resort operator colleagues.
There were other SOFTA Executives who played a prominent role in various Committees and Sub-Commities of TAG that committed a lot of their professional and personal time and resources for which SOFTA members are very proud.
SOFTA has also been represented on many commercial and statutory boards over the years ad these include Air Pacific, Fijian Holdings, Fiji Visitors Bureau (now Tourism Fiji), National Road Safety Council, Ports Fiji to name a few.
SOFTA is also represented on industry committees such as the National Tourism forum Planning Committee, Fiji Tourism Excellence Awards Committee, Steering Committee for National Tourism Masterplan plus it also presented submission on behalf of its members to the Employment Relations Bill. SOFTA is also a member of the Fiji Employers Federation (FEF).
At SOFTAs Annual General Meeting on 25th of May
2007. Past members and some current members were
acknowledge for their contribution to SOFTA and development of Tourism in Fiji and presented with achievement
certificates.
John Pettitt who served as Treasurer for 33 years until the AGM of
May 2007 AGM was one of the recipients together with :
Dick Smith
Dan Costelleo
David Wilson
Roy Whitton
Rosie Whitton
Mick Beddoes
Peter Erbsleben
Dixon Seeto
Don Collingwood
Robyne Collingwood
Lorraine Evans
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