Fiji is currently a popular tourist destination for visitors from Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. [File Photo]

Fiji’s extensive preparations and easing of protocols are being recognized, contributing to a strong, safe and sustainable recovery.

Tourism Minister Faiyaz Koya says being ahead of countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka is a phenomenon for Fiji.

An Economist Intelligence Unit analysis of 28 countries in the Asia-Pacific ranked Fiji number one in tourism readiness.

Koya says the analysis also showcases to the world that Fiji is a great tourist destination given its strong COVID mitigation efforts.

“We are not out of the woods. We continue to manage it at a particular level. That’s why we got the number one status and it helps us. We are on track for the numbers that we actually targeted, which was about half of what we usually do in a year. Fingers crossed, we will get even better than that.”

Koya says Fiji is currently a popular tourist destination for visitors from Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

With April being a busy month, the tourism number is expected to soon reach over 80,000.