SUVA -- Fiji's Minister for Tourism Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said here Monday that positive signs on tourist arrivals indicate a rapid increase in arrivals from China.

Sayed-Khaiyum, who is also the Attorney General, made the remarks while releasing the latest tourist arrival figures at a press conference. "For the first time in Fiji's history, ever for the month of April, we surpassed 50,000 visitor arrivals. .. We have had 55,043 arrivals," SayedKhaiyum said, adding Chinese visitors to Fiji is keeping increasing with a 50 percent increase in April alone.

According to the official, "it has now exceeded the 2010 mark by a whopping 23.7 percent. So we have 10,547 more visitors for April 2011 when compared to 2010."

Australia continues to be the leading source of visitors increasing its numbers by 9.4 percent, New Zealand by 5.5 percent, Europe continental by 6.9 percent, China by 50 percent, China's Taiwan by 28 percent and Pacific island countries by 23.1 percent.

However, "we have had decreases from the United States of America by 0.3 percent, South Korea by 24 percent and Japan by 14 percent," says Sayed-Khaiyum.