The 2013 Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange, hosted by InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa and with e-Travel Blackboard as exclusive trade media, ended Friday, with sellers and buyers declaring the event the best ever, not only for business, but also because of the venue, the amazing InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa.

There was also general consensus among senior and influential members of both buyers and sellers that Tourism Fiji’s decision not to support or be involved in BFTE and especially at the last minute, was very unfortunate and viewed by many as petty and short sighted.

BFTE organising committee chair David Voss also said that Tourism Fiji’s absence had not really been noticed or made any difference to the event, in fact it had probably had been a factor in the outstanding success of the 2013 event, with the event being removed from the inevitable politics Tourism Fiji’s presence would bring with it.

He added that the outstanding success of BFTE 2013 had clearly identified BFTE as a trade driven and demanded event predominantly for Fiji, but also across the Pacific, and on that basis, irrespective of what Tourism Fiji decided, BFTE 2014 would go ahead without question as planned, with the venue to be announced shortly.

He also added how strange it seemed to have all other Pacific Island NTO’s at BFTE but not the host country Fiji’s.

e-Travel Blackboard, Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange 2013’s exclusive trade media partner, brought to you on location by the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa and Fiji Airways