Tourism reaches new heights

Fiji's tourism in­dustry has broken through a major milestone- welcoming more than 100,000 visi­tors in a single month for the first time.

The record 105,791 visitor arrivals in July have put fresh focus on what Fiji can gain from the tourism boom, with industry leaders calling for growth that delivers greater value to the economy and communities.

The figures were highlighted at Tourism Fiji's Industry Day 2026 at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa in Denarau on Thursday.

The event brought together tourism stakeholders to assess the industry's performance, examine emerging in­ternational market trends and discuss challenges and opportunities ahead.

Fiji welcomed a record 986,367 visitors in 2025, before breaking the 100,000 monthly arrivals barrier in July this year.

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavokasaid the fig­ures represented far more than tourists arriving at Fiji's shores.

"These are not simply numbers. They represent jobs, businesses, communi­ties and opportunities for our people. They also tell us that Fiji remains a des­tination the world wants to visit," Mr Gavoka said.

But he said record arrivals should not be the only measure of success. "Growth must come with purpose. Our focus should not only be on how many visitors we welcome, but on the value tourism creates for Fiji and our people," he said.

Mr Gavoka said the priority was to ensure tourism growth strengthened Fiji's competitiveness while allowing more communities to participate in its benefits.

Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Dr Paresh Pant said Industry Day provid­ed a direct link between Tourism Fiji's international market intelligence and local industry operators.

"Industry Day allows us to share the trends and challenges shaping the tour­ism landscape, reflect on what we have achieved together, and look to the year ahead," Dr Pant said.

He said Tourism Fiji's regional teams provided valuable insight into chang­ing traveller behaviour and opportuni­ties in international markets.

"These insights help our industry partners better understand where we see opportunities and how we can work together to capture them," he said.

With visitor numbers continuing to rise, the industry is now looking beyond arrivals to competitiveness, innova­tion, sustainability and higher-value tourism.

For Fiji, the message from Industry Day was clear: the tourism boom is growing -and the next challenge is en­suring the benefits grow with it.