TOURIST arrivals from Vancouver, Canada increased over the past year, with passenger numbers reported to be as high as 21,000 annually.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica revealed this while addressing members of the Fiji Canada Association at the Fiji Centre in Surrey on Tuesday.
He said the surge in arrivals followed the introduction of direct flights by Fiji Airways between Fiji and Vancouver, resulting in a major increase of passenger numbers from 10,000 to 21,000 annually.
However, Mr Kamikamica emphasised the importance of diversifying Fiji’s economy beyond its reliance on tourism alone.
He noted Google’s proposed $200million investment in Fiji through the Google Pacific Connect Initiative.
“The tech giant’s planned data centre will create numerous job opportunities in the country, positioning Fiji as an ICT hub in the Pacific region,” Mr Kamikamica said.
He said Fiji’s agricultural sector is also undergoing expansion.
While commending the quality of Fijian agricultural products, he also stressed the need to support small and medium enterprises.
“We even have two innovative women entrepreneurs in this delegation. Rohini Hamid of Sea & Soil Pte Limited and Ana Malumuvatu from Kavalicious (Fiji) Pte Limited, who have demonstrated exceptional innovation and leadership in their respective fields.”
He commended the role played by the Fiji Canada Association that has been the cornerstone of Fijian diaspora unity for 56 years, making it the largest Fijian association outside of Fiji.
Mr Kamikamica is currently leading a delegation of Fijian exporters, government and private sector leaders to the Fiji-North America investment and trade mission, taking place from May 4 to May 14.
