The Business End

D E S P I T E T H E MAJORIT Y of its landmass being spread across a vast expanse of open water, a significant proportion of Fiji’s economy is driven by agricultural activities.

As you might expect, fishing is a key segment within this, with a range of different edible species swimming close to the inhabited shores including sailfish, barracuda and tuna. Meanwhile, a range of crops are cultivated on the land. Sugar, for example, makes up approximately one third of the country’s industrial output, with sugar cane found in abundance across the country.

Aside from the established national agricultural sector, tourism has risen to become the country’s largest source of foreign exchange. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, total direct and indirect contributions from tourism stood at 40.4 percent of GDP in 2016, supporting 119,000 jobs.

Last year Fiji welcomed a record 842,844 visitors, substantially exceeding the previous record of 792,320 that was set in 2016. Moreover, this is expected to rise an additional five percent for the 12 months through 2018.

With an expansive range of five‐ star hotels to cost‐friendly hostels, the industry serves tourists of all kinds, from backpackers to business executives, situated within reach of air travellers from the likes of Australia, New Zealand, the US and Japan.