Japan has surpassed the United States in interest for flights to Fiji, according to Tourism Fiji. Additionally, India has emerged as one of the two countries experiencing an uptick in flight searches.
Australia and New Zealand, established partners, continue to lead the list for flight inquiries to Fiji. Brent Hill, the CEO of Tourism Fiji, noted that key markets are effectively utilizing the Tourism Fiji website for flight searches, which is a positive development.
Hill commented, “It’s promising to see Japan, a market we are striving to cultivate, rising in search rankings, indicating a growing interest among Japanese tourists in Fiji and their online searches for flights and activities.”
He added that occupancy rates remain strong, with July anticipated to be another solid month. Forward bookings also indicate robust future numbers. Hill reiterated that Australia, New Zealand, and the United States remain the top three markets.
He acknowledged the expected decline from New Zealand due to familiar economic challenges such as inflation, recession, and high interest rates, but noted that overall figures from New Zealand are holding steady.
Recent statistics reveal a modest rise in flight searches from Australia (+1.9 percent) and India (+0.6 percent), while searches from New Zealand (-1.2 percent) and Japan (-0.4 percent) have decreased.
In terms of accommodation, Fiji recorded an average occupancy rate of 86 percent in July, with forward bookings projecting 79 percent occupancy for August and 66 percent for October. The leading countries searching for accommodation are Australia (35 percent), New Zealand (31 percent), and the United States (9.6 percent). Searches from Canada (-1.0 percent) and New Zealand (-0.9 percent) have seen a decline.