Despite recording a decline of 7.8% in visitor arrivals for 2009, the Reserve Bank of Fiji believes the outlook for 2010 will be upbeat.

In its monthly Economic Review it states that provisional data provided by the Bureau of Statistics showed that visitor arrivals totaled 539,405 in 2009, a decline of 7.8 percent on an annual basis, compared with an 8.4 percent growth in 2008.

It goes on to say that the decline in 2009 is much narrower than what had been forecast earlier in the year owing to improved visitor numbers through the latter half.

The Reserve Bank said the outlook for the tourism industry is upbeat following the introduction of new airlines and new airline routes as well as active promotions, campaigns, and advertising by Tourism Fiji, to elevate Fiji as a first choice global holiday destination.