Tourism Fiji has formally shifted its strategy away from chasing visitor numbers alone and toward “value-led” growth, aiming to attract higher-yield segments such as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and premium leisure, Chief Executive Officer Dr Paresh Pant said in an interview from Phuket, Thailand on Wednesday.
Dr Pant told this newspaper the new mandate prioritises longer stays and experiences that increase in-destination spending, so the economic benefits of tourism are more widely distributed across the value chain. “Our focus is on value-led growth. This includes attracting higher-yield segments such as MICE and premium leisure, encouraging longer stays, and promoting experiences that drive in-destination spend, ensuring benefits are felt across the value chain,” he said.
The strategic pivot comes as Fiji continues to recover strong visitor demand. The Fiji Bureau of Statistics recorded 71,765 arrivals in March this year, with a demographic shift toward older and multi-generational travellers: 65.2 percent of March visitors were aged 25–64, and 13.3 percent were aged 65 and over. Tourism Fiji is adapting product and marketing to match that profile by promoting wellness, culture, soft-adventure and premium relaxation experiences designed to appeal across generations.
Digital performance metrics are underpinning the push to higher-value segments, Dr Pant said. Tourism Fiji’s website has logged 6.24 million sessions so far this year — a 16 percent increase year-on-year — while average session duration has risen 22 percent. Those trends, he argued, signal that travellers are moving “from curiosity to commitment,” and the organisation has seen booking referrals rise alongside engagement.
The redirection also aligns with broader market developments in Fiji’s hospitality pipeline, including larger luxury and upscale projects under development, which are expected to support premium leisure and longer-stay visitors. Tourism Fiji will continue to invest in digital channels and content to ensure Fiji remains compelling to both older travellers and younger markets who are being targeted through tailored online campaigns.
Dr Pant stressed that execution will require coordination with government and industry partners. Tourism Fiji is working closely with the Tourism Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji on infrastructure planning, including airport capacity, visitor services and destination readiness, to ensure regions can sustainably accommodate future demand. The focus, he said, is on matching product and capacity with the quality of visitor the country wants to attract rather than merely increasing headcount.
The move marks an evolution from the mass-volume recovery strategy of earlier post-pandemic years. Fiji recorded a near-million visitors in 2023 — a milestone the government has cited as a sign of tourism’s central role in the economy — but policymakers now face the challenge of maximising value while managing costs and pressure on services. Tourism Fiji’s new emphasis on MICE and premium segments signals a deliberate attempt to lift per-visitor yield and spread benefits more evenly across Fiji’s tourism regions.
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