On this day, 1 December 2021, Fiji once again said ‘Bula’ to the world as the country’s borders historically opened back up after 20 months. In the 12 months since, 55 per cent of total visitor arrivals have been Aussies, with September seeing the 333-island nation welcome 38,950 paradise-seeking Australians in just one month.
Alongside its impressive visitor numbers, Fiji says it has witnessed a change in the trend of stay and spending, with visitors now staying for almost double the number of nights (9.7 nights, up from 5 nights pre-COVID) and spending more on their trips (AU$251 per person per night, up 12 per cent from pre-COVID).
Tourism Fiji says the rebound has been attributed to the Covid-safe measures implemented by the industry prioritising vaccination and the Care Fiji Commitment programme, a programme implemented by Tourism Fiji which was a standard of best practice protocols and standards, and certified tourism operators as having rigorous measures in place to manage COVID.
Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill says the steady increase in international visitors is promising for an economy where tourism is its largest asset, accounting for 40 per cent of the country’s GDP.
“It’s been wonderful to welcome back international visitors for the last 12 months and to see a steady, and more recently a rapid increase in numbers as the world gets used to travelling again. The recovery trajectory for visitor arrivals has exceeded our expectations, and the impact can be seen in our economy, with tourists buzzing in resorts, towns, and villages as people experience the true Fiji.
“Many hotels and resorts have recorded growth in their Australian visitors and spend. As an example, Australians are now the largest market for Malolo Island Resort, accounting for 81% of business. And a luxury, adults-only resort like Royal Davui saw a 65% increase in spend per night on activities compared to 2019.
“Both Plantation Island and VOMO have also seen an uplift in bookings by groups of friends; in some cases, VOMO has seen up to 10 families or groups of 30-plus friends booking resort residences and villas for the same period, some with a two-year wait to align dates.”
Tourism Fiji says this increase in visitors and lengths of stay is bringing enormous value to the local economy, including all tourism and hospitality businesses.
In the five-month period alone from April to August 2022, total earnings were FJ$805 million.
Ancillary spending also rose across the board considerably, suggesting a trend towards those who are ‘treating themselves because they deserve it’.
Adventure and thrill-seeking activities such as diving, fishing and surfing all had a resurgence, and an increase in spa treatments was also attributed to the rise in spending.
Hill continues: “The resilience of the Fijian people, the care we show for each other and our communities, our natural hospitality, and our commitment to welcoming back visitors are why Fiji has been successful in standing out as a destination, and we look forward to a bigger and better 2023 focusing on sustainable, authentic tourism.”
The reopening “Open for Happiness” campaign starring Australian actor Rebel Wilson received a series of accolades, including “Best Marketing Campaign (National – Pacific)” at the PATA Gold Awards and the Mumbrella Travel Award for “Breakthrough Destination of the Year”.
Over the year, Fiji as a destination has also received various acknowledgements for having the best islands and being Oceania’s leading adventure tourism destination, including being voted the number 1 island destination in the South Pacific in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
May 2022 also saw the return of the annual Fijian Tourism Exchange (FTE), held on Denarau Island in Nadi, with a global contingent of buyers travelling back to Fiji to reconnect with travel providers and help reboot the destination internationally.
Karryon founder Matt Leedham spoke to Brent Hill at FTE. Read on for his interview here.
Matt was also lucky enough to be on the first flight back from Sydney to Fiji on December 1, 2021. Read on for his experience here.
For more information, head to www.fiji.travel
