Fiji recorded a total of 63,842 international visitor arrivals in March 2025, down 7.9% from the same period last year, according to provisional figures released by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBoS).
Despite the year-on-year drop, March figures marked a strong 29% increase from February 2025, which saw 49,483 arrivals.
The decline in March visitor numbers contrasts with the overall upward trend observed in recent years. In March 2024, arrivals reached 69,335, an increase from 60,548 in 2023.
Of the visitors recorded in March, about 90% arrived by air, while 1,204 arrived by sea, mostly crew members on fishing vessels (1,191), with 13 visitors arriving via yacht.
Holidaymakers continued to dominate, accounting for nearly three-quarters (74.6%) of all arrivals. A further 8.3% visited friends or relatives, 2.8% travelled for business, and 14.3% cited other purposes for their stay.
Lead Source Markets
Australia remained Fiji’s largest tourism market, contributing 26,434 visitors or 41.4% of the total arrivals in March. This was followed by New Zealand (10,885), the United States (10,276), Continental Europe (2,447), China (2,040), Canada (1,950), and the United Kingdom (1,033). Collectively, these countries accounted for 86.3% of all international arrivals.
Working-Age Travellers
The bulk of visitors (65.9%) fell within the 25–64 age range, typically considered the working-age population. Retirees aged 65 and over made up 13.7%, while children aged 14 and under comprised 12.1%. A smaller portion (8.4%) of travellers were youths aged 15–24.
Departures
The report also showed that 14,031 Fijian residents departed the country during March. Of these, 90.7% (12,720 individuals) left for short-term absences of less than three months.
The most common reason for departure was leisure, with 49.4% of outbound residents travelling for holidays. A further 37.4% were visiting friends and relatives, 7.4% for business, and smaller proportions for employment (2.1%) and education or training (2.0%).
Longer-term departures—defined as absences of more than one year—accounted for 4.2% of resident travel.
