Japan has surpassed the United States in searches for flights to Fiji, according to Tourism Fiji. Additionally, India is experiencing an uptick in flight inquiries, highlighting its emerging interest in the destination. Meanwhile, traditional partners Australia and New Zealand continue to lead the list for flight searches to Fiji.
Brent Hill, the CEO of Tourism Fiji, expressed satisfaction with the performance of core countries utilizing their website for flight searches, stating that it is a positive development. He noted, “It’s encouraging to see Japan, a market we are actively trying to grow, ranking highly in search inquiries, indicating a growing interest among Japanese tourists in Fiji and related activities.”
Hill also mentioned that occupancy rates remain strong, with July expected to be robust and forward bookings suggesting continued solid visitor numbers. He identified Australia, New Zealand, and the United States as Fiji’s three largest markets. While anticipating a decline in interest from New Zealand due to common economic challenges like inflation and recession, he pointed out that search figures from that country are holding steady overall.
Recent statistics indicate a rise in flight searches from Australia by 1.9 percent and from India by 0.6 percent, contrasted with declines from New Zealand (down 1.2 percent) and Japan (down 0.4 percent).
In terms of accommodation, the average occupancy rate in Fiji for July is reported at 86 percent, with forward bookings predicting 79 percent occupancy for August and 66 percent for October. The top countries looking for accommodation are Australia (35 percent), New Zealand (31 percent), and the United States (9.6 percent). In accommodation inquiries, Canada and New Zealand have seen declines of 1.0 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.