Splendid isolation in the over-the-water bures at Likuliku Resort in Fiji. Photo / Supplied
Splendid isolation in the over-the-water bures at Likuliku Resort in Fiji. Photo / Supplied
It’s been 365 days since Fiji launched their ambitious CFC tourism programme on 1 December 2021, after shutting out visitors for almost two years. As one of the first countries in the Pacific to reopen to international visitors post-Covid, the gamble appears to have paid off.
Tourism Fiji announced that visitor numbers from New Zealand have exceeded pre-pandemic numbers for the first time.
In October 2022 international arrivals were 103 per cent of 2019 levels for the same period.
Fiji was one of the first tourism destinations to test concepts such as resort quarantine periods and tests on arrival for visitors.
The islands, whose economy is highly dependent on tourism, pioneered a lot of Covid Safe visitor protocols with its Care Fiji Commitment programme. It opened its borders to quarantine-free leisure travel almost half a year before New Zealand eased restrictions.
New Zealand tourists have helped the booming tourism sector return, accounting for just over a quarter of all international visits.
The end of MIQ (managed quarantine on return) for New Zealanders resulted in a boost of visitors from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
“The recovery trajectory for visitor arrivals has exceeded our expectations and the impact can be seen in our economy with tourists buzzing in resorts, towns, and villages,” says Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill.
Fiji Airways was voted best cabin crew in the Australia Pacific region. Photo / Supplied
“Our commitment to welcoming back visitors is why Fiji has been successful in standing out as a destination, and we look forward to a bigger and better 2023.″
With the return of daily Fijian Airways flights to Auckland in April, and flights out of Wellington and Christchurch, the national carrier has been ramping up to meet demand out of New Zealand.
Prior to 2020 tourism Fiji saw close to one million visitors a year and leisure represented two fifths of the islands’ GDP.
While overall visitor numbers have not yet recovered, its proximity and New Zealanders’ conceptions of it as a safe destination made it an appealing destination.
Visitor habits have also changed post-pandemic. While in 2019 the average visitor stay was 5-nights this has grown to 9.7 nights and spend per visitor is up 12 per cent.
Last week Reserve Bank of Fiji governor Ariff Ali praised the faster than expected recovery.
Talking at the TOPEX economic forum about recovery and diversifying Fiji’s economy, he said there would be no one industry that could replace tourism and no time soon.
“At this time last year we would have taken 35 per cent visitor arrivals, but we went for 50 per cent because of the forward bookings which looked promising. In the last couple of months arrivals have been growing at 90 per cent – Australian arrivals for the past few months have been better than 2019,” he told the Fiji Times.
Visitor numbers are now at 66 per cent of pre-pandemic levels for the first 10 months of this year. Australia accounts for the largest number of international visitors, followed by New Zealand and the United States.
Fiji Travel Requirements
Fiji dropped resort isolation periods and test on arrival requirements in September.
