The total tourism earnings in 2019 was recorded at $3.03 billion, accommodation made up 33 per cent according to Fiji’s 2019 annual International Visitor Survey (IVS).
Tourists booking into local resorts and hotels spent $992 million or 33 per cent of total earnings with international airfares totalling $901m or 30 per cent of tourism revenue.
A statement issued by Government revealed that tourists had spent $606m on restaurants and bars, particularly through meals included in pre-paid packages.
Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport permanent secretary, Shaheen Ali said 2019 was an exceptional year for the Fijian tourism industry.
He said it was noteworthy because the target of $2.2b was achieved ahead of 2021 as initially anticipated.
“While we acknowledge global travel and tourism has taken a significant hit from the pandemic, and 2020 will be a difficult year, we hope the IVS report can be taken as a benchmark for government and industry to strive towards,” Mr Ali said.
