More Aussies visited Fiji this July than any other month in history
This tropical paradise just four hours from Australia has recorded more Aussie visitors in a single month than ever before.
Fiji has recorded more Australian visitors in a single month than ever before.
The South Pacific nation welcomed 99,311 visitors in total in July, which was also the highest number in a single month. Aussie travellers made up a huge 45 per cent of that.
Nadi on Fiji’s main island is only about a four-hour direct flight from Australia’s east coast.
Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill stressed the record-breaking number of tourists was “incredibly exciting” for a nation where tourism accounts for about 40 per cent of the economy.
“The magic of Fiji is that it never feels crowded,” he said.
“With resorts and activities spread across 333 islands, visitors can still enjoy their own private escape – from secluded island resorts to hiking trails and waterfalls with no one else around.”
Record-breaking numbers of tourists are not being thought of so positively in other areas of the world where massive post-Covid crowds and the trend dubbed “overtourism” has become a highly contentious issue.
Mr Hill said despite “never” feeling crowded, there was a “buzz in the air” in Fiji.
“Fiji is absolutely the place to be right now – perfect weather, outstanding resorts, unforgettable experiences, and of course, the warmth of our people,” he said.
“Importantly, Fiji continues to deliver excellent value. With the Australian and New Zealand dollars going further here, and the US dollar and Euro very favourable against the Fiji dollar, travellers are continuing to find options for their budgets.”
From January to July this year, Fiji welcomed 543,073 visitors in total.
James Kavanagh, Flight Centre Travel Group’s CEO of global leisure, told news.com.au that Fiji was attractive to Australian travellers because of convenient flight connections, no visa requirements and the short travel time.
“It’s one of the easiest international getaways to take off the east coast,” he said.
“Demand is driven by the variety of experiences and budget options on offer, from five-star resorts and private island stays to flop and drop family-friendly holidays and adventure filled trips. You can choose something friendlier on the wallet or splurge a little if you like.”
The fear of record tourist numbers elsewhere
While the economies of popular travel destinations across the world rely on tourism, there is a real fear among locals in some hotspots that mass tourism will ruin their communities.
There was a huge anti-tourist protest day across cities in Spain, Italy and Portugal in June where frustrated residents took to the streets with water guns, smoke bombs, signs, megaphones, marching and chants.
Some of them feel foreigners are turning their cities into playgrounds while they are left behind with a housing crisis, rising rents and environmental impacts.
Other countries like Indonesia and Japan are urging travellers to get off the beaten track and explore destinations outside the hotspots to disperse record numbers of foreign visitors. About 920,000 Australians visited Japan in 2024, which was a new record. The Japan National Tourism Organisation is bracing for even more Aussies this year, expecting to break the one million mark for the first time.
In efforts across the world to make tourism more sustainable there have been new taxes and fees introduced, caps put on visitor numbers, and bans on new hotels and short-term rentals.
Massive crowds are also a major factor in influencing change to the way people travel, with more now choosing to travel at less busy times of the day and year.
news.com.au revealed recently that for the first time this year more Intrepid Travel customers are travelling to Europe in the shoulder season (April, May, September) than those travelling in the traditional peak summer season (June, July, August).
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That is 55 per cent of the Melbourne-born global travel company’s Europe-bound customers choosing to book in traditionally less popular months.
Intrepid Travel’s Australian managing director Brett Mitchell said earlier this year it was on everyone, including government, tour operators, cruise lines and airlines, to get around the table and work on solutions for responsible destination management.
“The reality is tourism is not going to slow down, it’s a mega trend and it’s only going to become bigger and bigger, and if the issue is not addressed it’s going to get worse and worse every year,” he said.
