AUSTRALIA continues to be Fiji’s largest tourism source market, accounting for more than 45 percent of total visitor arrivals.

According to a statement from the Australia Fiji Business Council (AFBC), nearly 450,000 Australians visited Fiji last year, and marked a 5 percent increase from the previous year.

“This growth underscores the enduring appeal of Fiji among Australian travellers and the strengthening of bilateral tourism ties,” the AFBC said in the statement released last weekend.

It stated that the surge in Australian visitors was part of a broader trend in the country’s tourism sector.

Last year, Fiji welcomed a record 982,938 tourists who had arrived by air and a total of 81,854 passengers arrived by cruise ships, and that surpassed the ambitious target of 966,930.

“This represents a 5.7 percent increase from 2023, highlighting the nation’s successful recovery and growth in the tourism industry.

“Westpac’s quarterly economic update emphasises Fiji’s reliance on Australian tourists and the continuous efforts to strengthen this relationship.

“In 2023, over 10 million Australian residents departed for short-term travels for holidays and business, with approximately 4.2 percent or around 434,000 choosing Fiji as their destination.

“Notably, following the reopening of Fiji’s borders in late 2021 and early 2022, over 11 percent of Australian travellers opted for Fiji, as other popular destinations remained closed.

“Since then, Australian departures to Fiji have normalised to historical levels.”

According to provisional visitor arrivals statistics provided by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics last month, of the total 982,938 visitor arrivals last year, the highest of 98,332 (10 percent) were recorded for the month of July, followed by the months of August and September with arrival figures of 94,787 (9.6 percent) and 92,591 (9.4 percent), respectively.

And the highest number of visitors were from Fiji’s top two source markets – Australia with 455,228 arrivals (46.3 percent) and New Zealand with 225,928 arrivals (23.0 percent), which FBoS chief executive officer Kemueli Naiqama said equated to an average daily arrival of 1243 and 617, respectively.

Statistics provided by FBoS on arrival numbers from Australia for the year 2020-2024, showed:

– 58,062 arrivals in 2020

– 18,569 in 2021

– 345,149 in 2022

– 434,533 in 2023, and

– 455,228 in 2024.

Australia also topped visitor arrival statistics by major source markets last year.

It surpassed visitor arrival numbers from New Zealand that recorded 225,928; USA (107,821); China (30,535); Continental Europe (30,497); Canada (20,181) and United Kingdom (12,079).

Mr Naiqama said those countries accounted for 89.8 percent of the total visitor arrivals for 2024 and also remain the major source markets for Fiji.

Meanwhile, the AFBC also acknowledged Australia’s financial significant contribution to Fiji’s economy.

“Between July 2023 and June 2024, Australians spent $3.7billion in Fiji, ranking it 11th in terms of expenditure,” it stated.

It added that Indonesia topped the list as it received the most in terms of Australian tourist expenditure, which stood at $AUD9.8bn or $F14.6bn.

Traditional neighbour New Zealand followed at $AUD8.2bn or $F12.2bn during the same time period.

“The positive trajectory in visitor numbers and spending is expected to continue,” the council stated.

“Westpac projects that, given favourable conditions, there should be no hindrance in attracting more visitors in 2025.

“The introduction of new flight routes, such as the non-stop service between Fiji and Dallas (USA) initiated in December 2024, is anticipated to bring around 1000 additional passengers per week, further bolstering tourism growth.”

The council said the tourism sector’s robust performance has been a cornerstone of Fiji’s economic resilience.

It stated that last year, the island nation’s economy grew by an estimated 3.0 percent, driven primarily by the tourism industry.

“This growth is an incredible feat, given the economy came off a high post-COVID growth of 7.5 percent the prior year.”

The council stated that Australia’s role as Fiji’s primary tourism source market remained pivotal.

It said the sustained increase in Australian visitors and their substantial economic contributions underscored the importance of that relationship.

“With strategic initiatives and favourable conditions, Fiji is well-positioned to attract even more Australian tourists in the coming years, further solidifying its status as a premier destination in the South Pacific.”