Tourism Fiji Chief Executive, Brent Hill says January is ending on a positive note for the industry.[File Image]

Tourism Fiji Chief Executive, Brent Hill says January is ending on a positive note for the industry.

Hill says the recent changes to rules to re-enter Australia, the changes to isolation protocols, and the opening of Queensland quarantine free are all significant announcements.

He adds that in addition, four European countries have also been added to our Travel Partner Country list.

Hill adds Fiji’s vaccination and booster shot numbers continue to lift with 93% fully vaccinated.

The Fiji Bureau of Statistics has recently confirmed that 23, 000 tourists arrived in December and Hill says this is reflective of a sensational effort given the challenges Fiji faced with Omicron especially.

He adds the industry is optimistic about visitor arrivals as they look ahead to the high season, beginning in April.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Hotel & Tourism Association in collaboration with Tourism Fiji, have now shared a standard Rapid Antigen Test template form for hotels and resorts which eliminates the need for results or data to be sent to a lab for testing.

The form needs to be printed out on hotel letterhead, filled out, stamped and signed by the swabber.

Guests can present this form at the airport for entry back into Australia after completion of the RAT.