PROVISIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS - March 2017

FBoS Release No.19, 2017

18th April, 2017

Provisional numbers show that visitor arrivals for March 2017 totaled 54,407, a decrease of 2.8% compared to a year earlier.

There were decreases in the number of visitors from Australia [down 3,305 or 12.3% to 23,489]; the United Kingdom [down 96 or 5.8% to 1,553]; Other Countries [down 48 or 11.1% to 383]; Japan [down 36 or 7.3% to 460] and New Zealand [down 5 or 0.1% to 8,253].

However, increases were recorded in the number of visitors from the following countries; the United States of America [794 or 15.1% to 6,068]; Pacific Islands [477 or 14.0% to 3,881]; Rest of Asia [395 or 21.9% to 2,199]; Continental Europe [145 or 5.6% to 2,754]; Canada [55 or 5.0% to 1,154]; South Korea [52 or 7.6% to 732] and China [2 or 0.1% to 3,481].

Visitors arriving for holiday purposes accounted for 70.8% of total arrivals, 9.0% came to visit their friends or relatives, 4.7% came for business purposes, while 15.5% visited Fiji for other reasons.

Table 1 below presents actual numbers and the 2017 and 2016 comparisons of visitor arrivals for the month of March, six months to March and 12 months to March 2017.

Table 1

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Note: Visitor statistics are released monthly using data sourced from the Immigration System. The number of tables released is currently due to limitations in the new system which came on line in April 2013.

Figure 1 below is a graphical comparison of Visitor Arrivals by Country for March 2017 and 2016.

Figure1

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In the moving twelve monthly numbers ending March 2017, the total number of visitors to Fiji increased by 3.6% compared with the same period in 2016. Visitors from Rest of Asia increased by [38.2%]; South Korea [23.7%]; New Zealand [15.5%]; China [11.8%]; the United States of America [7.1%]; Continental Europe [2.7%]; Pacific Islands [2.4%]; Japan [2.2]; Canada [1.8%] and the United Kingdom [1.4%].

Decreases were recorded for visitors from Other Countries [17.8%] and Australia [3.6%].

The moving six monthly numbers ending March 2017, showed that visitor arrivals increased by 5.5% over the corresponding period in 2016, up from 352,725 to 372,028.

A graphical comparison of visitor arrivals by country during a six month period to March 2017 is provided in Figure 2 below. The twelve monthly comparisons are provided in Figure 3.

Figure 2

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Figure 3

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The majority of visitors to Fiji in March 2017 were in the age range 25-64 (69.0%), which accounts for the vast majority of the working age population. Children aged 14 and below accounted for 12.3% of the March visitor arrivals; 9.5% comprising those in the predominantly retirement age group of 65 and over with the remaining 9.2% were youths aged 15-24.

Figure 4 below shows a significant gender differential in the age groups 20-24, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54 and 65+;

Figure 4

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Visitors by Occupation

The top 5 Occupational Groups for visitors engaged in gainful employment in their home countries are as follows;

  1. Professional Workers – 9,826
  2. Legislators – 7,804
  3. Service Workers – 6,436
  4. Technician and Related Workers – 5,639
  5. Craft Workers – 2,900

 

Visitors who are not in the labour force were categorised into two major groups. The categories and numbers are as follows;

  1. Retirees, Housewives, Children & Others – 10,970
  2. Students – 7,116

 

Additional details are provided in Figure 5 below;

Figure 5

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For further enquiries please contact Ms. Kiran Naidu on 3315822 ext. 386223.