Provisional numbers show that visitor arrivals for October 2022 totaled 70,152. This is a decrease of 3.4% compared to September 2022.
While visitor arrival numbers for October 2022 have greatly improved, the number is lower [9.4%] compared to the visitor arrival numbers for October from the pre-COVID era in 2019.
Of the 70,152 visitors, 69,052 came by air while 1,100 came by sea. The sea arrivals were mostly seamen on fishing vessels (1,031) and 69 arrivals by yachts.
Visitors by Gender and Age
The majority of visitors were in the age range of 25-64 years (64.1%), which accounts for the vast majority of the working-age population. Children aged 14 and below accounted for 17.1% of the October visitor arrivals; 11.8% comprising those in the predominantly retirement age group of 65 and over, with the remaining 7.0% being youths aged 15-24.
A total of 11,387 Fiji Residents departed the shores during the month of October of which 8,642 or 75.9% were for a short-term absence of under three months and 955 or 8.4% were for over three months and within 12 months period. A total of 1,790 or 15.7% of resident departures were for a longer-term absence of 1 year or more.
The reasons for departure as reported by residents leaving for a short-term absence were as follows;
- Visiting Friends or Relatives – 40.2%
- Holiday – 38.2%
- Business – 10.1%
- Employment – 4.1%
- Education/Training – 3.9%
- Others – 3.6%.
