FIJI's gross earnings from tourism in the June quarter of 2011 was estimated at $259.2million.
This represented an increase of $29.6m or 12.9 per cent over the gross earnings recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2010, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics revealed.
The increase, it said, reflected the 150,837 or 10.9 per cent increase in total visitor arrivals. The Aussies contributed 50.5 per cent or $130.9m to our economy in the six months while $40.4m or 15.6 per cent were contributed by the Kiwis.
The bureau said the earnings from tourism was basically a product of the estimated average daily spending of tourist, which is gathered from the International Visitors conducted by the Tourism Ministry and the number of visitor days, which it (bureau) calculates.
Visitors coming in for business or conferences are estimated to spend about $191 daily while those visiting friends and relatives are estimated to spend at least $60 daily. Cruise ship passengers are estimated to spend about $57 daily.