Diversification of Fiji’s tourist market: understanding the development of the Chinese market segment

Many tourism destinations are diversifying to new markets, and specifically to the Chinese outbound market to sustain their tourism industry. China has also been the fastest growing emerging market for Fiji. Whilst traditional markets of Australia, New Zealand and United States are important, tourism stakeholders in Fiji also see the importance of diversifying into new markets and China has proven to provide the necessary visitor arrival numbers during downfalls or low seasons from traditional markets. However, China is not a homogenous market. Their motivations and expectations differ from people from Western countries or even those from other parts of Asia. There has been limited research carried out on the Chinese outbound tourists to Pacific Island Countries. The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding and contribute to the body of knowledge on the following areas: the development of tourism in Fiji; the development and growth of Chinese outbound tourism; diversification to the Chinese outbound market; and the profile of the Chinese visitor