Fiji – the Polynesian island nation with a population of around 900,000 people – is expecting its ongoing in-bound tourism recovery to result in 500,000 international visitors this year; with a full return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023.
The estimate was made by Fiji’s tourism minister Shaheen Ali.
“For the first half of this year, we have recovered over half our tourism numbers from the same period in 2019. June arrivals were 73 percent of the same month pre-pandemic. By the end of 2022, we are expecting at least 500,000 visitors, with a full recovery expected by 2024,” Mr Ali said.
Fiji’s national economy is expected to grow by 12.4$ this year – with travel and tourism-related revenue the main driver.
Tourism accounts for around 40% of Fiji’s annual GDP, with the industry employing around 150,000 people.
Pre-pandemic, Fiji was attracting around 800,000 overseas visitors every year.
As well as a return to those levels by the end of next year, the country is targeting combined visitor spend of around $1.36bn by the end of 2024.
