Despite global financial uncertainty and rising living costs, Australian travellers didn’t sacrifice the trip of a lifetime in 2011, with increasing numbers making the coveted journey across the South Pacific to visit Tahiti and her Islands.
According to official statistics the number of Australians that travelled to Tahiti in the first seven months of the year increased by 31% compared to the same period last year. Only the USA, including Hawaii, experienced a larger growth than Australia.
Tahiti Tourisme’s Regional Director Robert Thompson said the increase was due to a combination of favourable factors.
“A strong Aussie dollar coupled with great value packages has made 2011 a good time for Australians to visit Tahiti and her islands,” Thompson said.
Continuing on from impressive statistics earlier in the year, each month has seen a steady growth compared to 2010, helping lift tourism numbers to the pre-GFC levels of 2008.
April proved to be a popular time to visit with an 86 per cent increase compared to the same time last year, while the most recent statistics confirm Australia visitor numbers remain on the rise with a seven per cent hike in July.
Overall, 91,000 tourists visited French Polynesia in the first seven months of 2011, an increase of 13 per cent on the same period in 2010.