Fiji’s tourism sector is set to expand significantly, targeting a $4 billion industry with over one million visitor arrivals annually by 2027. Brent Hill, the chief executive officer of Tourism Fiji, announced this ambitious goal during a recent joint forum of the Fiji-Australia and Australia-Fiji Business Councils in Suva.
Hill highlighted a projected growth of approximately $925 million over the next four years, building on the current tourism revenue of about $3.2 billion. He urged government officials to continue investing in tourism, emphasizing the substantial economic opportunities that await.
Since Hill’s arrival in Fiji three and a half years ago, the number of Australian visitors has increased dramatically. While arrivals were once growing at a modest one percent annually over a decade, there were 367,000 Australians vacationing in Fiji by 2019. This number rose to 434,000 last year and is anticipated to reach around 450,000 this year, marking a 22 percent increase since 2019.
Tourism Fiji is optimistic that visitor numbers will surpass one million in 2027, bolstered by Fiji Airways’ new direct flights to Dallas, which are expected to attract approximately 50,000 visitors from the US, Europe, and South America. Additionally, Fiji Airways plans to initiate flights to four new Australian airports, further enhancing growth potential in the tourism sector.