Tourism Fiji is focusing on spreading tourists to island-based resorts and hotels instead of just inland areas.

This comes as the national airline, Fiji Airways, sees a steady increase in seat capacity, and the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association says room inventory could fall short by about 4,000 rooms.

Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Brent Hill says they are exploring activities such as tours and cruises to keep tourists engaged while at the same time maintaining balanced accommodations.

He adds that a lot of emphasis is now placed on ensuring tourists get exposure to outer islands and resorts.

“Trying to spread the tourists out so that they’re travelling, you know, to Taveuni, to Savusavu, to Mamanuca’s and Yasawa, to outer islands, you know, to all parts of Fiji, and I think that’s a really important thing. I get a lot of stories when I hear about places like, you know, Serenity Island or Paradise Cove.”

Currently, nearly $300 million in tourism projects are underway around the country.

Hill adds that they are eager for this project to be up and running.

“We are working very, very closely with a lot of investors. So the Crown Plaza will open its first phase of Western renovations at the end of the year. Is taking shape, and this weekend you’ll see the groundbreaking for the new Sofitel project. So it is really wonderful to see that we’re starting to see some of that investment coming to Fiji.”

Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry highlights that Fiji witnessed a remarkable recovery in tourism last year, with a 71% increase in tourist numbers since the reopening of the border.