Jul 12 2011

Positive signs on tourist arrivals indicate a rapid increase in arrivals from China.
 


Attorney General and Minister for Tourism Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum released the latest tourist arrival figures at a press conference in Suva today.
 


For the first time ever arrival figures for April exceed the 50,000 mark.
 

“For the first time in Fiji’s history, ever for the month of April, we surpassed 50,000 visitor arrivals. We have never exceeded the 50, 000 mark. We have had 55, 043 arrivals,” he said.
 


“It has now exceeded the 2010 mark by a whopping 23.7 per cent. So we have 10,547 more visitors for April 2011 when compared to 2010.”
 

Australia continues to be the leading source of visitors increasing its numbers by 9.4 per cent, New Zealand by 5.5 per cent, Europe continental (6.9 per cent), China (50 per cent), Canada (13 per cent), Taiwan (28 per cent), India (5.1 per cent) and Pacific Island countries by 23.1 per cent.


“We have had decreases from the United States of America by 0.3 per cent Korea by 24 per cent and Japan by 14 per cent,” Mr Sayed – Khaiyum.


 For the same month last year the bureau recorded 44, 000 visitors, in 2009 in was 39, 000.
 
He said numbers continued to grow monthly this year except for March where Fiji recorded a decrease in numbers.



Source: MOI