The Tahiti Cruise To Work Steering Committee

The first meeting of the Cruise Strategy Steering Committee, created by decree of the Council of Ministers

As a continuation of the 2015-2020 Tourism Development Strategy, the country is pursuing the sectoral structuring. Indeed, in view of the ambitions linked to the cruise business and the growth potential for the coming years, Nicole Bouteau, wished to set up a steering committee to elaborate, coordinate and evaluate the deployment of a strategic plan to develop the cruise activity in French Polynesia. In view of the development challenges facing the islands, significant spill-over effects of this activity in the tourist industry and, more broadly, in the country’s economy and the high expectations of cruise lines, a transversal approach is necessary.

This committee brings together several ministries, the president of the Tourism Committee of the Assembly of French Polynesia, the Syndicate for the Promotion of Municipalities, the Port Authority of Papeete, Tahiti-Faaa Airport, Tahiti Tourism, and the Tahiti cruise club.

After a brief review of the evolution of the activity since 2012, the six axes of the strategy, in which some 50 actions have been declared, were presented and debated: maritime structuring, infrastructure, regulatory framework , statistical monitoring, organization of hosting, promotion and relationship to international shipowners. Priority themes were identified during the meeting. They will be the subject of working groups in the coming days: the Steering Committee will meet again in early December.

In 2016, the cruise sector accounted for more than 25% of the total economic spin-offs related to tourism, ie more than 12 billion FCFA, of which more than 10% is spent onshore, directly on the islands of call. This activity also makes it possible to bring a steady tourist flow to islands which do not benefit from the main flows of traditional tourism.

(Source: Tahiti News Tourism News Release 13 September 2017)