UK visitors drive interest in Fiji tourism

Independent charity dedicated to preventing harm to UK travellers explores Holiday Head phenomenon, explaining why people take more risks when they travel. Three in four travellers more open to new experiences on holiday, and trying things they wouldn’t at home.

Canada’s Travel & Tourism sector is poised for a record-breaking year, with economic contributions expected to hit $182bn. and significant job growth across the country.

CEO Andre Viljoen is leading Fiji Airways through a time of record growth and change. His airline only has 20 aircraft (including Fiji Link regional planes), but operates an impressive hub-and-spoke network that optimizes aircraft use via a robust schedule connecting all corners of the Pacific Ocean through Fiji. Viljoen comes to Fiji Airways after a distinguished career leading another island carrier, Air Mauritius.

The travel industry is on a roll in 2024, with people spending more and traveling further. A new report by Mastercard Economics Institute says this is great news for many economies, especially those in the Caribbean. Island Hopping in the Caribbean

Applications for the fourth edition of Best Tourism Villages closed on 8 May. Building on the success of past editions, this year’s initiative will again inspire communities worldwide to harness the power of tourism as a driver of rural development and wellbeing.

Tourism is expected to make a greater contribution to the Caribbean’s gross domestic product (GDP). Speaking at the Caribbean Travel Forum in Montego Bay, St. James, Nicola Madden Greig, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association (CHTA), said the sector currently accounts for 13.7 per cent of the region’s overall output.

India has experienced a significant drop in the World Economic Forum’s travel and tourism rankings since 2019, falling 10 places to the 39th position. This decline has come despite the sector’s overall growth and the nation’s natural and cultural assets.

When I was a little girl – I dreamed, dreamed, dreamed of going to Paris. I grew up in a very non-wealthy part of Connecticut, and I never thought I would get there. Part of my inspiration was seeing the movie Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, the acclaimed 1957 film about a beautiful model who is photographed in France. Oo la la! It was a dream. And I even actually came very close to getting to Paris when I was in sixth grade – I won first prize in a Singer Sewing Company dress-making fashion competition – but alas, I did not make it to the nationals. I only wound up with a portable phonograph – it wasn’t until a few years later that my family and I actually made a three-day trek to Paris after visiting our family in Poland. (and it wasn’t until I became a luxury travel writer that I frequented gorgeous places such as the Four Seasons George V and the Shangri-La hotels).

The travel and tourism sector observed a 13.5% decline in deal volume from January to April 2024, with 217 deals compared to 251 in the same period last year.

The travel and tourism industry is incorporating ESG-focused roles, reflecting a strategic shift towards sustainability and environmental stewardship in operations and supply chains.

At ATM 2024, leaders from the Seychelles and Mauritius tourism sectors, including Donald Payen and Alain St.Ange, reconnected to discuss strengthening tourism ties and future collaborations.

Over 260 villages across 60+ countries have applied for the 2024 Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism, setting a new record and underscoring tourism’s role in rural development.