TravTalk India Online Magazine
Brent Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Fiji, is optimistic that the strong Indian community in Fiji and natural beauty of the destination will attract not just leisure travellers from India but also film production houses to shoot there.
Hazel Jain from Fiji
The new government in Fiji, which is just 16 months old, aims to bring back the South Pacific on the world tourism map. The goverment hopes that Indian travellers can play a big part in this for Fiji, which has 40 per cent contribution of tourism in its GDP.
Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day Fiji Tourism Exchange 2024 held in Denarau, Fiji, Brent Hill, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tourism Fiji, said, “Indian tourists visiting Australia or New Zealand can be a great source market for Fiji, which is visa-free for Indian nationals, and we plan to tap that. While our top three source markets are Australia, New Zealand, North America and China, we are also looking to India as an emerging market for Fiji.” Tourism Fiji is represented in India by Global Destinations.
Fiji experienced record tourism growth in 2023 and welcomed around 929,740 visitors. Now, its target is to achieve one billion visitors over the next four years. “There is intense competition from places like Thailand and Bali. So, we need to deliver exceptional value for money. I believe that the India story can be replicated like the China story, and this is down to air capacity,” Hill adds.
Indian arrivals to the South Pacific Island nation in 2023 reached pre-COVID numbers of 2019, underlining the increased appetite for premium and experience-led travel. The month of December saw the highest number of Indian arrivals in Fiji; increasing by around 300 per cent over December arrivals in 2022. The average length of stay of an Indian tourist to Fiji is 7.6 nights. At FTE, more than 80 suppliers showcased their products to over 125 buyers from important international markets, including three travel agents from India: Kesari Tours, PickYourTrail, and Thomas Cook India.
Good to know
- Total number of hotels in Fiji: 421 accommodation providers
- New hotels in the pipeline to be completed between 2024-2026: Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, Hilton Garden Inn, Wyndham Garden Wailoaloa Beach, and Radisson Blu Mirage Resort and Damodar City Labasa Hotel in Vanua Levu
