More than 16,000 tourists from the United Kingdom visited Fiji last year.

More than 16,000 tourists from the United Kingdom visited Fiji last year.

This was revealed by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at a tourism event at Fiji’s High Commission in London, England.

Bainimarama says due to the nature of the journey, tourists from the U.K. and Europe spend longer periods of time in Fiji.

He says Fiji is expecting this year’s arrivals from the U.K. to rise by 6.6 percent and urged the High Commission staff to continue that momentum into 2020 and beyond.

The Prime Minister says there’s room for growth in extended backpacking trips, and adventure-based holidays, from eco-tourism to diving trips.