Fiji Visitor Arrivals in 2010

Fiji has established a new visitor arrival record, welcoming close to 632,000 international visitors across 2010.

Figures released by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics show a total of 631,868 international visitors travelled to the destination during the 12-month period January-December 2010.

The figure for the year eclipses the 542,186 total achieved in 2009 by more than 16%.

Tourism Fiji CEO, Josefa Tuamoto said the 2010 result had “effectively obliterated” previous visitor arrival projections set in 2009 when the destination aimed its sights on attracting 600,000 international visitors by 2012.

Australia again continued to be the primary source of arrivals to Fiji for the 12 month period with visitation building to 318,185, a 28% increase over the 248,489 recorded across 2009. This accounted for 50.4% of Fiji’s total international arrivals for the year.

In other markets, New Zealand visitor numbers reached 97,857, a 7.36% increase over the 90,898 recorded for 2009.

Arrivals from the EEC stayed positive, the 73,043 arrivals recorded for the 12 month period representing a 1.89% increase over the 71,731 achieved in 2009.

United States of America arrivals also increased from 51,592 to reach 53,122, a 3% year on year increase.

Chinese visitor arrivals continued to increase in 2010, reaching 18,227, a 31.89% growth over the 13,820 achieved for the same period in 2009.

Arrivals from India increased by 22.32% from 2375 in 2009 to reach 2905 in 2010.

Foreign exchange earnings emanating from Fiji’s international visitation now contribute an estimated FJD900 million to the local economy.

Tourism also represents around 31% of the country’s total GDP and is responsible for employing some 45,000 full time equivalent jobs within the total Fijian workforce.

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