"Fiji Needs Australian Tourists”
p. 22 · Read in the full issue
The tourist industry has just about edged gold out of third positic (after sugar and copra) as Fiji’s major earner of overseas income.
Although the tourist industry publicity has not always been directe at the most lucrative quarters, more and more visitors go to Fiji eac year and spend correspondingly more money.
THE Australian liner, Manoora, paid a five-day visit to Suva during the Hibiscus Festival in October, and the passengers spent an estimated £4,225 on items which they are able to buy under a draw back of duty.
These items could generally be classed as luxury and include radios (mainly transistors) binoculars, cameras, record players and tape recorders.
They must have spent about double on festival functions, includ ing a trip to Nukulau, the Beqa fire-walkers’ exhibition, the Indian night, the Fijian night, etc., which meant about £12,000 in the five
days.
The Manoora visit was just illustration of the potential to tapped in Australia, A strong b of opinion holds the view t Australia and New Zealand better tourist markets than United States, where a good c of tourist publicity is concentra at present.
Suva traders consider that A tralians in particular are bel spenders than the Americans, i that if what Fiji had to offer w made more widely known in j Commonwealth there would be steady stream of Australian visit throughout the year.