Tahiti offers tourism link-up

New Zealand is being courted by French Polynesia for a joint marketing initiative to attract wealthy North American and European visitors to the South Pacific.

During a recent visit to Papeete, Foreign Minister Phil Goff was told there would be advantages for both countries in working together to lure visitors from the Northern Hemisphere.

French Polynesia's Tourism Minister, Jacqui Drollet, said people travelling half way around the world wanted to experience more than one country.

"Tahiti and Aotearoa are a very attractive proposition together," he said. Both countries possess beautiful landscapes and cultures, Drollet pointed out.

"They also have opposite peak seasons, which is a significant market leverage." From July, Air Tahiti Nui will offer a non-stop 12-hour service from New York to Tahiti, in a first for any Pacific island destination.

"We would like to share this potential," he said.

Tourism is French Polynesia's leading resource and is critical for economic growth.

It accounted for revenue of $750 million annually, compared with $300 million for exports. As a result, the country's economic development plan depended on the successful development of tourism, with a target of 300,000 visitors a year by 2007 and 500,000 in the next decade.

The country attracted 211,900 tourists in 2004, compared with a peak of 256,000 in 2000.

Drollet said the Government had made a significant investment with Air Tahiti Nui, which was launched in 1998 and has now developed into a financially sound airline.

But it did not want to shut out competition from Air New Zealand, which could play a role with the development of tourism, he said.

Air New Zealand has been flying to French Polynesia for more than 50 years and accounts for around 23 per cent of the market into Tahiti, the second largest contributor of visitors after Air Tahiti Nui.

"We want Air New Zealand to continue to grow and build a presence in Tahiti ... our Government favours collaboration and improvement to air traffic rights and to explore open sky agreements."