Australians can’t get enough of Fiji, with the latest data from Fiji Bureau of Statistics revealing the number of Aussies heading to the destination hit a new all-time record in September.
The month saw 44,254 Australian travellers head to Fiji on holiday, making up 48% of the total tally of 92,591. It represents 4% growth on the same month last year (90,439 arrivals) ahead of the overall 3.3% increase in visitors.
New Zealand accounted for nearly one-quarter of visitors last month, with 22,625 (24.4%), and there were 7,923 arrivals from the United States (8.6%), the provisional visitor numbers show.
“The Australian love affair with Fiji continues, with an all-time record for a month coming to Fiji from Australia,” Brent Hill, Tourism Fiji CEO remarked.
The clarity of the brand proposition has been a major driver for growth out of the Australian market, in his view.
“Fiji stands for happiness and a wonderful culture,” he told LATTE. “The reputation of Fijian people and their hospitality is without parallel and we have highlighted that in all our advertising and PR in Australia significantly.”
He also highlighted the role played by Fiji Airways, crediting its strong service proposition and schedule of non-stop flights as important contributors.
“Of course, the AUD goes a long way in Fiji, and the accommodation options in Fiji are fantastic and we continue to highlight those through marketing and PR,” Hill said.
“We also have a well-established network of travel agents and tourism trade we work with, and many have been to Fiji, love it, and have no hesitation selling it.”
Strong growth is also being seen in Tourism Fiji’s strategic priority areas of adventure tourism, cultural tourism and on-shore experiences for cruise passengers. There were 4,934 cruise passengers that visited Fiji during the month.
Hiking and trekking were highlighted as the most popular adventure activities among travellers from around the globe, with mounting interest in cultural activities from those from the APAC region with camping and climbing also a hot trend.
“Fantastic to see strategy paying off in outcomes, right across our industry,” Hill added.
