Fiji recorded a decline in visitor arrivals for February 2025, with the total number of tourists reaching 49,483—a 9.6% decrease compared to February 2024.
The latest figures from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics also indicate a 30.1% drop from January 2025, which saw 70,794 arrivals.
The 2025 numbers is a departure from the steady increase in visitor numbers over the past four years.
Majority of visitors, 48,952, arrived by air, while 531 entered by sea, primarily as crew members aboard fishing vessels (513) and yacht travellers (18). Holidaymakers accounted for 70.2% of total arrivals, while 9.4% visited friends and relatives, 3.2% travelled for business, and 17.2% arrived for other purposes.
Australia remains Fiji’s largest tourism source market, contributing 36.0% (17,812 visitors) of total arrivals. New Zealand followed at 17.4% (8,626 visitors), while the United States accounted for 14.7% (7,297 visitors). Other key markets included Continental Europe (4.3%), China (4.1%), Canada (3.0%), and the United Kingdom (2.0%).
A majority of tourists (65.5%) were between 25 and 64 years old, aligning with the typical working-age population. The retirement-age group (65 and above) comprised 13.2%, while 12.0% were young adults aged 15-24. Children under 14 made up 9.3% of arrivals.
In contrast to falling tourist arrivals, a total of 14,340 Fiji residents departed the country in February. Of these, 87.4% (12,529) left for short-term absences of under three months, while 6.2% (883) planned to be away for three to twelve months. Another 928 (6.4%) left for long-term periods of over a year.
Short-term departures were primarily for holidays (46.2%) and visiting friends or relatives (41.2%). Business-related travel accounted for 7.2%, employment, 2.9% and education or training at 1.3%.
