Attacks fail to detour South Pacific tourism
| • | Trouble in paradise |
| • | Room tax shortfall may hurt recovery |
| • | Light demand delays Japan Airlines' recovery on international routes |
| • | Japan finds consolation as Asian tourists increase |
Associated Press
SUVA, Fiji — The South Pacific's crucial tourism industry managed to continue growing in 2001 despite the devastating impact of the Sept. 11 attacks on air travel.
Lisiate 'Akolo, chief executive of the South Pacific Tourism Organization, reported this month that 988,119 tourists visited the region's 12 tiny nations last year, up slightly from 961,792 in 2000, despite the terrorist attacks in the United States.
The figures are reassuring in that tourism to Fiji — the region's biggest draw — slumped after a 2000 coup and began recovering only late that year.
In 1999, the region received a record 1,004,620 visitors to its palm-fringed beaches, coral reefs and clear waters.
John Campbell, chief executive of Fiji's national carrier, Air Pacific, said recently that he expected Fiji to receive 425,000 to 430,000 visitors in 2003 and about 800,000 in 2009.
'Akolo said he expects 2002 to match the 1999 record.
Australia last year continued to be the first source of tourists for the region (215,701), followed by the United States (192,571) and New Zealand (149,649).
The most popular destination was still Fiji, which drew 348,014 visitors, followed by French Polynesia with 227,658 and New Caledonia with 100,515.
