Fiji is aiming to elevate its tourism sector to a $4 billion industry with an expected annual influx of over one million visitors. Brent Hill, the CEO of Tourism Fiji, made this announcement during the recent Fiji-Australia and Australia-Fiji Business Councils Joint Forum held in Suva.
Hill highlighted a significant growth opportunity, indicating that the current visitor economy, valued at approximately $3.2 billion in 2023, could increase by around $925 million over the next four years, resulting in an estimated value of $4.24 billion by the end of 2027. He urged the government to continue investing in tourism, emphasizing the importance of upcoming infrastructure projects as a testament to this ongoing growth.
Reflecting on the past, Hill noted that when he arrived in Fiji three and a half years ago, visitor arrivals from Australia were growing at a modest rate of one percent over a decade. However, by 2019, the number of Australian visitors had surged to 367,000. Last year, this figure reached 434,000, with an anticipated rise to about 450,000 this year, marking a 22 percent increase since 2019.
Tourism Fiji forecasts that visitor numbers will surpass one million by 2027, aided by Fiji Airways’ introduction of non-stop flights to Dallas, which is expected to attract around 50,000 visitors from the U.S., Europe, and South America. Additionally, the airline plans to initiate flights into four new Australian airports, further enhancing growth potential in the sector.