Fiji’s tourism sector is poised for significant growth, with projections indicating it could evolve into a $4 billion industry by 2027, attracting over one million visitors annually. This outlook was presented by Brent Hill, the CEO of Tourism Fiji, during the recent Fiji-Australia and Australia-Fiji Business Councils Joint Forum in Suva.
Hill highlighted the tremendous potential for growth, estimating that the current tourism revenue of approximately $3.2 billion could see an increase of around $925 million over the next four years. This would elevate the visitor economy to an estimated value of $4.24 billion by the end of 2027.
He urged the government to continue its investment in tourism, stressing the importance of infrastructure projects that are already underway. Hill noted a significant turnaround since he arrived in Fiji three and a half years ago, mentioning a historically slow growth of one percent in visitor arrivals from Australia over a decade. However, by 2019, the number of Australian visitors surged to 367,000, and that figure rose to 434,000 last year. This year’s figures are projected to reach approximately 450,000, marking a 22 percent increase since 2019.
Tourism Fiji anticipates that with the introduction of Fiji Airways’ non-stop flights to Dallas, around 50,000 visitors from the US, Europe, and South America could be added to the total. The airline also plans to expand to four new airports in Australia, which is expected to further enhance the tourism growth potential.