On 26 August at 9:30 a.m. at the NCT offices, New Caledonian businesses involved in international tourism together signed a new “Relaunch Destination Contract”. Local institutions and companies are thus officially committed to supporting the multiple actions to revive the attractiveness of our archipelago for tourists and to work together to support the gradual resumption of foreign passenger traffic.
In order to gradually win back tourist flows lost during the covid crisis, revive the dynamic of cooperation between local players, rebuild the attractiveness of the destination by pooling resources and better adapt to new travel trends, New Caledonia Tourism has brought together the main local players in the sector around a new special contract to “Relaunch” the destination over a three-year period.
A cooperative way of working underpinned by contracts per market, previously proven to be very effective in supporting the attraction of New Caledonia, particularly in Australia & New Zealand from 2013 and Japan from 2017, with a 51% increase in Australian tourists, +62% in those from NZ and +37% in those from Japan over the 5 years prior to the crisis.
This time, hoteliers, carriers, promotional organisations, institutions and receiving agencies will make a concrete commitment through five main lines of action:
This very broad agreement thus provides for the organisation of regular follow-up meetings between all the signatories, the establishment of sufficient or protected transport capacities for foreign passengers, the further development of interconnections between international and domestic flights, the launch of vast international promotion and sales campaigns (see “Are you ready”) integrating the synchronised promotional offers of all the signatories, the regular sharing of statistical data in order to feed a future Caledonian Tourism Observatory, the facilitation of media coverage and the training of resellers by organising stays given by participating service providers, the development of the prepaid mobile telephony/internet options for tourists and passing business customers, etc.
22 FIRST SIGNATORIES OF THE “2022-2024 RELAUNCH DESTINATION CONTRACT”
AIR CALEDONIE
AIRCALIN
C.C.I.
DISCOVERY TRAVEL COMPANY
GLP HOTELS
HOTEL BEAURIVAGE
KAREM BAY HOTEL
HOTEL LE GONDWANA
HOTEL LE LAGON
ILES LOYAUTE EXPLORER
INTERCONTINENTAL® LIFOU WADRA BAY RESORT
LAND COMMUNICATION
LYVAÏ TOUR
MARRIOTT
NEW CAL EVENTS
NOUVELLE-CALEDONIE TOURISME
OASIS OF KIAMU
OPT-NC
PROMENADE TOURS
SAS SUDILES
SOUTH PACIFIC TOURS
TRANSAT TOURS
Now that the Government of New Caledonia and those of our source markets (except Japan) have lifted most travel restrictions related to the management of Covid, the basic conditions are finally in place for a resumption of international tourism on Le Caillou. What remains now is to push on and reinforce the promotion of New Caledonia abroad in the face of increasingly strong international competition and with new expectations from travellers. This contract and the actions resulting from it, therefore, constitute the first essential response.