How Paradise Taveuni Fiji saved $1 million with Bartercard
“Since joining Bartercard we’ve saved almost $1 million in expenses from furniture and equipment to advertising and travel. Bartercard helps us reach a new market of visitors and attract extra bookings. Approximately 10% of our visitors come from Bartercard which in turn lets us source high quality items without the cash price that we couldn’t otherwise afford.”
Terri Gortan – Paradise Taveuni Fiji
Paradise Taveuni Fiji has used Bartercard to save almost $1 million in expenses from furniture and equipment to advertising and travel. They also used Bartercard to rebuild the resort without a cash outlay in the wake of Cyclone Winston. After the rebuild, the property reached Trip Advisor’s #1 Resort on Taveuni Island.
Paradise Taveuni is a gorgeous 16 room property catering to divers, honeymooners, families and adventurers looking to relax and explore the beautiful island.
It’s owners Terri Gortan and her husband Allan bought Paradise Taveuni as a rundown hostel in 2006 and transformed it into a popular destination. But in 2016 the resort was levelled from Tropical Cyclone Winston.
“(Bartercard’s National Tourism and Travel Manager) Mark Ferszt and the Bartercard team went out of their way to help when the cyclone hit,” said Terri. “They were one of the first to contact us and see where they could assist.”
She said Bartercard made their contacts and suppliers available free of charge to them for three months while they rebuilt. “They also helped source supplies we couldn’t get locally and assisted in freight.”
Conserving cash costs and filling downtime
Since 2012, Paradise Taveuni have used Bartercard to conserve cash on a range of expenses that’s added up to almost $1 million in cash savings. Terri and Allan did this by spending Bartercard trade dollars instead of cash wherever they could. To earn trade dollars, they welcome guests on Bartercard to keep the resort full.
Terri said guests can purchase resort packages that include accommodation, meals and airport transfers through Bartercard’s Tourism site. They were one of the first resorts in Fiji to join Bartercard.
“Bartercard helps us reach a new market of customers and their dedicated Tourism Department take care of everything,” said Terri. “Approximately 10% of our visitors come from Bartercard which in turn lets us source high quality items without the cash price that we couldn’t otherwise afford.
What Paradise Taveuni buys with Bartercard:
- Cutlery
- Crockery
- Furniture
- Pool cleaning equipment
- Bathroom accessories such as quality tap wear
- Bedding
- Graphic design
- Magazine advertisements
- Shipping containers
- Marketing trips to Australia
- Resort representation in Australia
Weddings in Paradise without the cash cost
“We offer a range of wedding packages and recently welcomed a wedding and 10-night stay for the bride and groom on Bartercard,” said Terri. “Their guests paid for their stay in cash, so Bartercard effectively attracts new visitors. This was just 12 months after the cyclone and those extra cash bookings assisted us incredibly.”
Terri said Bartercard offers a great range of spending options to offset cash and its Tourism Department support them in finding what they want.
“We’ve been with Bartercard for years and will keep welcoming Bartercard visitors for years to come. Bartercard’s customer service standards are impeccable and something you don’t encounter very often these days.”
Bartercard Tourism has hundreds of resort and accommodation members at destinations worldwide. By using Bartercard trade dollars instead of cash, hotels and resorts can offset costs across a mix of expenses from renovations to maintenance and equipment.
For more information visit bartercard.com.au or download our FREE 2018 Digital Business Essentials ebook.
25th September 2018
