SUVA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian government will bring in more brand new planes like 787s, Dreamliners and A350s in the next few years to serve its routes and boost visitor numbers to the island nation, a Fijian minister said here on Wednesday.
The Fijian government on Wednesday leased an A330-200 plane called Vatulele in Nadi, Fiji's third largest city. Vatulele is named after a coral and volcanic island 32 kilometers south of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.
Fijian Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Wednesday that the airlines to Fiji are continuing on an upward trend. Fiji Airways has successfully launched its direct flight to Japan.
Khaiyum added that the recent development at Nadi International Airport which has been rated as one of the 10 most improved airports in the world has boosted the economy.
Nadi International Airport is the main international airport for Fiji as well as an important regional hub for the South Pacific islands, located on the western side of the main island Viti Levu.
Fiji, a South Pacific island state with a population of more than 880,000, received 842,884 visitors last year, up 6.4 percent compared with 2016.
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said earlier that tourism was already the largest single contributor to the island state's gross domestic product (GDP).
Tourism earnings for 2017 was around 1.7 billion Fijian dollars (about 845 million U.S. dollars) and arrivals this year is expected to rise by about 5 percent.
The Fijian government is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to grow Fiji's tourism industry in a sustained manner, the PM said.
