TOURISM remains Fiji’s largest industry and private employer, contributing $2.81 billion to the economy from a record 986,367 visitor arrivals in 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka revealed these statistics at the opening of the Pacific Polytech Melrose Hotel in Sigatoka early this week, saying the record performance demonstrated the importance of maintaining a skilled workforce to support the sector’s continued growth.
“The Fiji Bureau of Statistics tells us that in 2025, our country welcomed a record 986,367 visitors, and that tourism earned Fiji $2.81b,” Mr Gavoka said.
“This is our largest industry and our largest private employer.”
Mr Gavoka said tourism also provided employment opportunities for people in rural and coastal communities, allowing young people to find work without leaving their home areas.
He said tourism was central to the National Development Plan 2025-2029 and Vision 2050, with the National Sustainable Tourism Framework 2024-2034 setting the direction for the sector.
The framework focuses on four goals — a prosperous visitor economy, thriving and inclusive communities, cultures that are seen and valued, and healthy islands and oceans.
“People sit inside every one of them. There is no prosperous visitor economy without a trained workforce, and this is where Pacific Polytech becomes essential to national policy.”
He said the Government was also modernising the legislation governing the tourism industry.
“For too long, our industry ran on world-class beauty and warm hospitality, but on a legal foundation that was scattered and dated.
“This Government has changed that.”
Mr Gavoka said the Tourism Act 2026, enacted in June, provided the industry with a single modern legal framework.
He also highlighted Parliament’s passage of the Commercial Use of Marine Areas reforms, known as CUMA, which returns proprietary ownership of commercial marine areas to the relevant iTaukei customary owners.
He said the reform would modernise the management of marine areas used for tourism while ensuring customary owners benefited from the resources attracting visitors to Fiji.
“The reef and the lagoon that draw the world to our shores will work for the communities that have always belonged to them.”
Mr Gavoka said tourism growth also depended on a reliable and safe aviation sector.
He said Government had released the Civil Aviation Master Plan for Fiji 2026-2031 and is developing a new Civil Aviation Bill to consolidate aviation laws under a single modern Act.
“Clear law and safe skies are what keep the aircraft coming, and the visitors with them.”
