The Tourism Authority of Kiribati has published its Quarter 1 Tourism Industry Review for 2024, revealing exciting growth in the sector. The report shows a 100% increase in international arrivals when compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
In the first quarter of 2024, the USA became the top source market for Kiribati, surpassing Pacific Islanders who had been the top source market since Q1 2023. This quarter, 25.9% of arrivals to Kiribati were from the USA. Most of these American visitors travelled to Kiritimati for leisure, specifically for fly fishing holidays.
In the first quarter of 2024, Kiribati continued to welcome cruise passengers, although only one cruise ship visited. As a result, the number of cruise passengers was 65% lower than in 2023.
The report also highlights a boost in domestic air travel and a decrease in domestic marine travel. It also captured the number of visitors to the Museum.
Additionally, the report notes improvements in the tourism supply. Employment in the tourism sector has increased by 97%, showing that more jobs are being created. The reports covered a detailed increase in the other tourism supply.
TAK would like to express its appreciation to Air Kiribati Ltd, the Marine Guard Division, the Immigration Department, Te Umwanibong Cultural Museum, the Kiribati Customs Authority, the Shipping Agencies of Kiribati (SAOK), and local Tourism operators who have been instrumental in gathering and contributing relevant data and insights, making this report a comprehensive and robust assessment of the tourism sector in Kiribati.
