Visitor Arrivals April 2009

Visitor arrivals for April 2009 totalled 39,385 and it represents a decrease of 7.2% [3,050] over the previous record set in 2008.

Decreases were recorded for visitors from New Zealand and the United Kingdom each recording significant decreases of [1,422 or 20.3% to 5,594] and [946 or 28.3% to 2,392] respectively. Other decreases were recorded for visitors from Japan down [41.9% to 633]; South Korea down [39.3% to 385]; Canada down [22.2% to 924]; the United States of America down [13.6% to 3,447] and Pacific Islands down [8.9% to 2,634].

However, increases were recorded for visitors from Australia up [5.6% to 18,877] and Continental Europe up [14.3% to 2,528].

In the moving twelve monthly numbers ending April 2009, the total number of visitors to Fiji decreased by 1.9% compared with the same period in 2008. Visitors from South Korea decreased by [29.5%]; the United States of America [15.9%]; the United Kingdom [15.7%]; Japan [6.3%]; Canada [5.4%] and New Zealand [4.1%].

Increases were recorded for visitors from Taiwan by [6.1%]; Continental Europe [5.7%]; Australia [4.8%] and Pacific Islands [2.7%].

In the six monthly numbers ending April 2009, the number of visitor arrivals showed a 12.4% decrease over the corresponding period in 2008, down from 266,477 to 233,389.

The average length of stay for visitors in April 2009 was 9.5 days with the Pacific Islanders staying the longest with 13.5 days. This was followed by Canada with 12.1 days; the United Kingdom 10.4 days, while Australian visitors who make up more than 40% of the total visitors stayed for 8.7 days. The New Zealand visitors stayed the shortest with 8.6 days. Other visitors from our major markets stayed between 8.6 to 13.5 days. For April 2009: