【Text by Guan察者网 Deng Jun, Editor by Zhao Qiankun】
Fiji, known as the "honeymoon travel destination," boasts vast blue oceans, white sandy beaches, and swaying coconut trees; it is crossed by the International Date Line, creating a unique time-space experience of "left with yesterday, right with tomorrow." This is Fiji, officially called the Republic of Fiji.
According to the UK's City Life magazine "TimeOut," the American "National Geographic" recently released its 2026 list of "World's Best Travel Destinations," with Fiji joining 24 other top tourist destinations around the globe. This honor not only recognizes Fiji's tourism industry but also reinforces its prominent status as an international tourist destination.
Fiji was the first Pacific island country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. On November 5, 2025, the heads of state of China and Fiji exchanged congratulatory telegrams, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Josaia Rayawa, a board member of the Fiji Tourism Authority, told Guan察者网 that the history of Chinese people traveling to Fiji dates back as far as 170 years. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Fiji half a century ago, the two countries have always maintained good bilateral cooperation, and tourism is a vivid embodiment of this relationship.
Josaia Rayawa further pointed out that China currently ranks as the fourth largest international source market for Fiji, and the structure of the tourist market continues to optimize. The Chinese market is crucial for the sustainable development of Fiji's tourism industry and is a key overseas market highly valued by the Fijian government. He expressed confidence in the future of Sino-Fijian tourism cooperation and looked forward to closer ties between the two sides.
The consumption power of quality tours in the Chinese market is rapidly being unleashed.
Where is Fiji? Perhaps many people cannot accurately answer at first.
Fiji is located in the center of the Southwestern Pacific, consisting of 333 islands. Due to the 180° meridian passing through its territory, it is the easternmost and westernmost tourist destination in the world. Fiji has a warm climate throughout the year, suitable for vacations, with the dry season from May to October being the peak tourist season; while December has dry and comfortable weather, making it an ideal period to avoid crowded holiday crowds.
Crystal-clear seawater, dazzling white sandy beaches, and the bright and warm smiles of the local residents... this South Pacific island nation naturally becomes a paradise for honeymoons, a vacation heaven, and a place for the soul.
In recent years, the Fiji Tourism Authority has been continuously increasing its investment in the Chinese market.
For example, in 2025, the Fiji Tourism Authority held roadshows in seven major cities in the Greater China region, including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing, fully promoting the latest tourism resources and travel experiences in Fiji, aiming to create a more distinctive Fiji tour for Chinese tourists.
Data provided by the Fiji Tourism Authority to Guan察者网 shows that in 2024, the number of global tourists received by Fiji reached a historical high, breaking the one million mark for the first time. Among them, the number of Chinese tourists entering Fiji increased by 17% year-on-year, recovering to 56% of the level in 2019.
Since 2025, despite the market environment where air capacity has decreased compared to the previous year, Fiji still shows strong appeal as a premium long-haul island destination for Chinese tourists.
According to the Fiji Tourism Authority, in multiple months of 2025, the number of Chinese tourists entering Fiji achieved growth against the trend; during January to September, the number of tourists from mainland China to Fiji reached 23,000. There are signs that the Fiji tourism market is shifting from pursuing "the number of Chinese tourists" to focusing on "the quality of Chinese tourists"—the average stay time and spending power of Chinese tourists have significantly increased, and the high satisfaction and uniqueness of Fiji's tourism products have effectively offset the external impact of capacity fluctuations.
Sheraton Taveuni Island Resort, Fiji Tourism Authority
Several luxury resorts (hotels) such as the Fiji Hilton Resort, Fiji Tropical Islands Resort, and the Marriott International Group in Fiji have revealed to Guan察者网 that their Chinese market bookings achieved breakthrough growth in 2025, showing that the luxury tourism consumption power of high-net-worth individuals in China is rapidly being unleashed. To provide Chinese tourists with a better vacation experience, they are taking measures such as increasing the number of Chinese-speaking staff, introducing Asian menus (including Chinese cuisine), opening Chinese WeChat, UnionPay, and Alipay payments, and customizing personalized dishes for Chinese tourists.
Zheng Nuru, General Manager of the Asia Region and Chinese Market of the Fiji Tourism Authority, told Guan察者网, "Fiji tourism partners have shown great enthusiasm and firm confidence in the Chinese market. Chinese travel agencies have also shown great interest in Fiji as a premium island resort destination and are actively working to enrich the content and experience of Fiji's tourism products."
Continuously "innovating" according to the needs of the Chinese market
In April 2025, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation cited the information of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Gavoka, that Fiji Airways is negotiating to open a direct flight route from Nadi to Shanghai, which is expected to be launched by the end of 2025. This move aims to strengthen the tourism and business links between China and Fiji, and to open up new channels for Chinese tourists and business people to visit Fiji.
Currently, Fiji Airways operates three flights per week from Hong Kong directly to Nadi, Fiji, and increases to four flights during peak periods.
Kamal Haer, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Fiji Airways, told Guan察者网 that although there is no further information available about the new direct flight to Shanghai, Fiji Airways is very eager to launch direct flights from mainland China to Fiji soon.
Kamal Haer pointed out that understanding the needs of Chinese travelers is crucial for Fiji Airways, such as how to better cater to the tastes and habits of Chinese passengers in terms of in-flight catering. She revealed that Fiji Airways' service upgrade plan for Asian routes has been launched, and in 2026, it will comprehensively improve the design, supply standards, and overall experience of all Asian routes, and introduce new catering services.
At the same time, Fiji Airways is jointly developing a "stopover" product with the Fiji Tourism Authority and several resorts. Chinese tourists can stop in Fiji for 2 to 3 days on their way to Australia, New Zealand, or the United States, experiencing specially designed short-term tours in Fiji and hotel discount services. Kamal Haer said, "This product is expected to be officially launched in April next year."
Additionally, Fiji Airways has launched small group tour products suitable for two families traveling together and offers customized vacation planning services for the Chinese market.
Notably, in response to the calls of Chinese tourists, Fiji Airways announced that starting from August 16, 2025, it will optimize the schedule of return flights from Hong Kong to Nadi, Fiji: Flight FJ392 will depart from Hong Kong earlier from 16:55 to 16:15, arriving at Nadi at 06:25 the next day, allowing passengers to connect with the cruise ship departing at 9:30 on the same day without having to transfer overnight on the main island; Flight FJ393 will depart from Nadi from 08:20 to 23:30, allowing tourists to arrange a full day or half-day sightseeing on their last day, making the journey more fulfilling.
Fiji Outdoor Cycling, Fiji Tourism Authority
This adjustment enables Chinese tourists to "land and go to the outer islands" and "enjoy the last full-day vacation," effectively improving travel efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of the trip.
Peng Qiulin, General Manager of the Asia Region of Fiji Airways, said, "This optimization of flight schedules is an important measure taken by Fiji Airways to deeply understand the Chinese market and respond to passenger needs. The new arrangement not only improves flight connection efficiency but also helps tourists optimize their vacation time and budget allocation, truly achieving 'one ticket, direct happiness.'"
Peng Qiulin also revealed to Guan察者网 that regarding the issues previously raised by Chinese tourists about "slow response of Fiji Airways' official website and WeChat mini-program for check-in and complicated information filling," the IT department of Fiji Airways is optimizing the access speed, language support, and document filling process of the official website and APP client, striving to provide Chinese tourists with a more convenient check-in experience. Related technical improvements are expected to be completed and put into use by mid-2026.
How to win over Chinese tourists in a fierce market competition?
As Chinese tourists gain deeper understanding of Fiji, the Fiji Tourism Authority has recognized the huge potential of this market, especially the groups from numerous smaller cities in China. The Fiji Tourism Authority expects the Chinese market to maintain a steady growth of 3% to 5% in the coming years.
However, the current competitive environment is becoming increasingly fierce, as many other island tourism destinations around the world, such as the Maldives and Seychelles, are also actively vying for the Chinese market.
Faced with this situation, the Fiji Tourism Authority plans to continuously enhance its appeal to Chinese tourists by leveraging differentiated travel experiences and deep cultural interactions.
According to Zheng Nuru, in 2026, the Fiji Tourism Authority will launch a new "Fiji Tourism Expert" training system targeting the Chinese market, helping Chinese travel professionals better understand Fiji's tourism resources. At the same time, Fiji will expand multi-country connecting tourism products such as "Fiji-Australia-New Zealand," "Fiji-New Zealand," and "Fiji-Australia," enriching the travel choices for Chinese tourists.
Additionally, the Fiji Tourism Authority is strengthening cooperation with leading travel agencies, online travel platforms, and social media platforms in China, enhancing the exposure of the Fiji tourism brand, continuously delivering valuable Fiji tourism stories, and bringing new travel inspirations to Chinese tourists.
Zheng Nuru stated, "In the future, the Fiji Tourism Authority will continue to work with all partners to jointly develop tourism products that meet market trends, further consolidating Fiji's position as one of the preferred long-distance island destinations for Chinese tourists."
It is worth noting that in the face of the "over-tourism" problem faced by some island destinations around the world, Josaia Rayawa told Guan察者网 that Fiji still has significant room for growth in receiving international tourists and does not worry about the phenomenon of "over-tourism" appearing in Fiji. However, to prevent problems before they occur, the Fiji Tourism Authority has already started taking measures to control the rapid growth of tourist numbers at some popular locations. For example, by providing paid custom itineraries and services, using price mechanisms to alleviate potential overcrowding pressure, and offering Chinese tourists a better tourism experience.
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Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574367490714534440/
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