Tahiti Tourism Focuses Marketing Efforts On Attracting Visitors From The United States And France

The tourism sector in French Polynesia says it will focus on attracting visitors from the United States and France in view of the experience with Covid-19 this year.

The two countries provided 90 percent of the 28,000 tourists who arrived since the reopening of the border in mid-July when quarantine requirements were abolished.

A meeting of industry leaders and the tourism minister in Papeete agreed to rearrange marketing efforts accordingly.

Tahiti had closed its airport in late March to eliminate Covid-19 but since then there has been a second wave of infections with hundreds of cases a day, which is expected to peak in the next two months.

Since the relaunch of tourism, visitor numbers attained about 40 percent of the 2019 level.

International air travel has been at about a third of what it was last year and domestic air travel has been at about 60 percent of last year.

The tourism minister Nicole Bouteau said since July, 78 tourists tested positive and were isolated.

A Covid-19 negative test has to be produced to be allowed to fly to Tahiti and four days after arrival, passengers must self-test.

The minister considered the travel protocol to have been successful as Covid-19 tests for travellers under the age of 11 will now no longer be needed.

(Source: RNZ)