Fiji Times Thursday 09 March 2017 THE Fiji Independent Travellers and Backpackers Association wants to lift the profile of this small but significant section of the overall tourism market.
Association president Tui Kabu said backpackers made up about 12 to 15 per cent of the total visitor numbers, bringing in an estimated 60,000 of the 600,000 plus visitors who visit Fiji annually.
He said they planned to set up a system that would record the number of backpackers visiting Fiji.
“Backpacking started a few years back when eco-tourism started and this allowed some of the local operators to organise a few beds, some meals and provide cheap accommodation for youth travellers,” he said.
“From there it started growing and they (operators) put up a few more rooms and added air conditioning so now it’s a very competitive business and as the tourist numbers grew over the years, backpacker numbers also grew.” Read more…
