Despite modest growth in Fiji’s two largest tourism markets, Australia and New Zealand, visitor arrivals have surged during the first half of 2024.
Senior Westpac Banking Corporation Economist, Shamal Chand, reports that based on current trends, Fiji’s tourism sector is on track to achieve another year of record arrivals.
According to Chand, Fiji has welcomed 354,584 visitors year-to-date, an 8.3% increase compared to 327,392 arrivals in the same period last year.
“In May 2024, visitor arrivals rose 10.3% year-on-year and 7.3% month-on-month to 82,901, setting a record high for this month,” he noted.
“Fiji welcomed 38,944 Australian visitors in May, a 12.2% year-on-year increase. This spike was likely driven by the visit of supporters of two Australian Super Rugby Pacific teams, traditionally a quieter month, indicating sports tourism is boosting numbers in 2024.”
Year-to-date, visitor arrivals from Australia have risen by 2.3%, New Zealand by 11.3%, and the United States by 13.3%.
Chand observed an uptick in the number of rooms sold and the occupancy rate during the first quarter of 2024, largely due to record visitor numbers.
“In the March quarter of 2024, the room occupancy rate was 49.1%, up from 48.2% in March 2023, with an additional 75,600 rooms available during the quarter.”
Chand also highlighted that the tourism sector is set to benefit significantly over the next decade from planned upgrades to the Nadi International Airport, which will see international passenger capacity increase to 5 million from the current 2.1 million, while domestic capacity will rise to 0.5 million from 0.3 million.
“The Nadi International Airport is currently operating at full capacity as Fiji expects to receive 1 million visitors this year. The planned upgrades over the next decade will alleviate current supply constraints, with several infrastructure development plans in place.”