SPTO Media Release
SPTO member countries have convened and will convene national events to celebrate the 2019 China Pacific Tourism Year (CPTY) according to SPTO Chief Executive Officer, Chris Cocker.
These events include Food & Cultural Festivals, Chinese Tourism Symposium and tourism exhibitions. Mr. Cocker made the comment while addressing guests at the Opening Ceremony for China Tourism & Culture Week and Food Festival in Suva, Fiji this week.
Over the last five years, Chinese arrivals to the Pacific grew by an average of 13.36%, increasing from 88,708 in 2014 to 153,119 in 2015, the peak year, but declined to 125,347 in 2018, following the decline in Chinese arrivals to Palau the top destination for this market
However, in 2019 Chinese arrivals to Pacific is forecasted to rebound, with an expected increase in Chinese arrivals to other destinations such as Fiji, PNG, French Polynesia. The outlook for 2019 is positive, with Chinese arrivals to the Pacific is expected to increase by 4 %.
Meanwhile, the China Tourism & Culture Week and Food Festival included the China Food Festival (Huaiyang) Cuisine from Jiangsu Province of China, Folk Art Performances and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and Display from Ningxia Province, Tourism Photo Exhibition and Tourism Promotion from Ningxia Autonomous Region and Jiangsu Province and meetings between Ningxia Tourism officials with SPTO and Tourism Fiji.
