Tourism earning between April and December 2022 at $2.09b – Visitor Survey

The tourism industry surpassed expectations earning $2.09 billion between April and December 2022 with majority of the 587,406 holiday makers coming from Australia, New Zealand and United States.

According to the Fiji 2022 Annual International Visitor Survey, tourists spent the most on accommodation, totaling $801 million or 38 percent of total earnings.

They say international and domestic airfares earned $427 million or 42.7 percent of tourism revenue while tourists spent $148 million on restaurants and bars, particularly through meals included in pre-paid packages.

The 2022 Survey report, a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and the International Finance Corporation, with support from the Government of Australia now includes disaggregated data for Vanua Levu and Taveuni, as well as benchmarking of visitor perceptions on accessibility for disabled persons or persons with limited mobility and Fiji’s sustainable travel practices.

It says amidst the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that brought travel and tourism to a complete standstill in 2020, the remains committed to offering crucial insights that will contribute significantly to the country's recovery efforts.

Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Salaseini Daunabuna says in 2022, Fiji witnessed a remarkable recovery, with a 71 percent increase in tourist numbers since the reopening of our borders.

She says we have seen for the first half of this year; we are breaking month on month records compared to 2019 levels.

Daunabuna says they hope that the report will serve as a benchmark for both the government and the industry to measure their performance and take the information to make more informed policy and business decisions.

The report has been prepared by SMS Research & Marketing Services, with support from the International Finance Corporation.

International Finance Corporation Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands Judith Green says tourism is the pulse of Fiji, providing jobs and supporting livelihoods, as well as being the largest revenue earner for the economy.

She says supporting tourism and the many businesses that rely on the sector is critical to ensuring sustainable economic growth in Fiji into the future.

Green says the Survey report is also critical as it not only provides insights that will assist tourism stakeholders to make data driven decisions to improve visitor expectations and experiences, but will also boost Fiji’s competitiveness as a tourist destination.