Speaking to TTG at FTE 2016, the minister said the April launch of direct twice-weekly flights from Singapore would aid the country in a new push to entice Britons to its shores.

“We’re going to do some really aggressive marketing this year because we’ve got this new flight,” he said. “Numbers should be equal to, if not better than, last year.”

Fiji has long been popular with the backpacker market and has proved increasingly attractive with mid-range British tourists, but Koya said the new marketing push was designed to bring in more affluent visitors.

“There’s a great market out of the UK for mid-range visitors who are after adventurous things and not necessarily seven-star seekers, and we’re happy to continue that, but the aggressiveness is to get those higher-spending tourists out here,” he said.

Koya compared the islands’ attractions and facilities to those of the Caribbean, saying the standard of properties available was equal, if not superior, to the quality of those available in the West Indies.

Fiji’s two primary source markets are New Zealand and Australia. The UK holds 3% of Fiji’s market share and the average visitor spends 11 days at the destination.