French Polynesia to cap tourist numbers in sustainability push

Far-flung Pacific islands are a popular honeymoon destination

Bora Bora, French Polynesia (Getty Images)

French Polynesia has announced plans to cap its annual tourist numbers in the coming years, as part of a wider sustainability drive.

The nation made up of 121 islands and atolls will impose an annual cap of 280,000 tourists as a component of its five-year “Fāri’ira’a Manihini 2027” plan.

The initiative will also prioritise visits by local cruise companies and ships with 700 passengers or fewer.

The islands, which include the pristine beach destination Bora Bora, the island of Mo’orea and the entry point of Tahiti, are a popular holiday destination as well as being a luxury cruise region.

The new tourism plan aims to make the islands a site for boutique, quality tourism with a lighter impact on the untamed nature there.

Jean-Marc Mocellin, the CEO of Tahiti Tourisme, confirmed the move on Monday, telling Radio New Zealand that the cap would not exceed 300,000 visitors a year - equivalent to one tourist per local.

“The cost of getting to the Islands of Tahiti makes it an ideal ‘slow tourism’ destination, far from the crowds of mass tourists,” said Tahiti Tourisme in a press release.

“The government of French Polynesia has opted to attract cruise ships of small or medium capacity to base themselves throughout the year in French Polynesian waters.”

French Polynesia’s islands saw a record 299,518 visitors in 2019, with much smaller numbers arriving over the past two pandemic-restricted years.

It’s not the only destination changing rules in order to protect its environment from the effects of overtourism.

This summer, Sardinia announced that it will charge tourists to visit two of its most beautiful beaches, part of the Maddalena Islands.

Meanwhile, the Austrian village of Halstatt was forced to ask tourists to stay away after becoming famous as the inspiration for the icy kingdom Arendelle in the Disney movie Frozen.

Elsewhere, Thailand’s Maya Beach, where feature film The Beach was shot, was closed for three and a half years due to overtourism impacting its ecosystems.

The beach reopened in January 2022 with limited visitor numbers and strict rules around swimming and litter.