Fiji’s tourism earnings remain heavily driven by Australia and New Zealand, which together accounted for more than 70 percent of the $2.57 billion that the industry earned between July 2023 and June 2024, Tourism Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka said. Australia alone contributed nearly half of that total, with New Zealand supplying about 23 percent.
Quarterly performance showed strong seasonality. The highest receipts were recorded in the July–September 2023 quarter at $775 million, followed by a seasonal dip to $441 million in January–March 2024, and a rebound to $717 million in April–June. Overall, tourism revenue grew by $359.7 million year-on-year, a 16.3 percent rise.
While Australia and New Zealand remain the backbone of Fiji’s tourism, other markets are expanding rapidly: the United States recorded a 41.8 percent increase in earnings (driven by longer stays and higher spending), China led all markets with a 150 percent surge as outbound travel resumed, and the United Kingdom grew by 58 percent from a smaller base. Gavoka highlighted that as Fiji improves air connectivity and steps up marketing, these faster-growing markets offer promising opportunities to broaden the tourism mix and boost resilience.
Context and explanation
– The strong July–September quarter aligns with peak travel patterns into the South Pacific (northern-hemisphere winter holidays and school breaks), while the January–March lull reflects the lower-season period for many source markets.
– Rapid growth from markets such as China, the US and the UK likely reflects both the return of previously constrained outbound travel and targeted marketing or flight restorations that have made Fiji more accessible.
– Diversifying source markets helps lower dependence on any single region and can smooth earnings across seasons as different countries have different holiday calendars and travel behaviors.
Short summary
Fiji’s tourism generated $2.57 billion in earnings for July 2023–June 2024, with Australia and New Zealand supplying over 70 percent. Quarterly receipts peaked at $775 million, dipped to $441 million in early 2024, and recovered to $717 million in April–June. Overall tourism revenue rose 16.3% year‑on‑year, while strong percentage growth from China, the US and the UK points to encouraging diversification.
Hopeful angle
The rise in higher-spending visitors from the US, the large rebound from China, and significant gains from the UK suggest Fiji’s global appeal is expanding beyond traditional markets. If connectivity and marketing continue to improve, these trends can underpin more stable, year‑round tourism income and create wider economic benefits across the islands.
Additional editorial suggestions for WordPress
– Suggested headline: “Australia, New Zealand Deliver Over 70% of Fiji’s $2.57bn Tourism Revenue; US, China and UK Driving Growth”
– Suggested subhead: “Quarterly peak of $775m and 16.3% annual growth underscore recovery and opportunities to diversify markets”
– Suggested featured image caption: “Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka says Australia and New Zealand remain Fiji’s largest tourism spenders (file photo).”
– Suggested tags: Fiji tourism, Viliame Gavoka, Australia, New Zealand, China, United States, tourism earnings, travel recovery
– Suggested meta description (approx. 150 chars): “Fiji’s tourism earned $2.57bn in Jul 2023–Jun 2024 with Australia and NZ contributing 70%+, while China, US and UK show strong growth.”
– Suggested pull-quote: “Australia and New Zealand remain the backbone, but growing markets like China and the US offer promising opportunities.”
If you want, I can produce a shorter social-media summary, craft headline variants, or add suggested internal links to previous coverage of visitor arrivals and government tourism initiatives.
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