Tahiti Tourisme CEO Vaihere Lissant
Tahiti Tourisme is seeking to diversify French Polynesia’s international visitor base as Air Tahiti Nui prepares to open a nonstop route between Papeete and Sydney, strengthening access from one of the destination’s priority growth markets.
The service between Faa’a International Airport (PPT) and Sydney Airport (SYD) will begin Dec. 14. Tahiti Tourisme CEO Vaihere Lissant described the route as a major milestone that should support Australian demand while improving connectivity through Sydney to other markets.
Australia is already one of Tahiti’s five strategic source markets, generating 8,369 visitors in 2025, or about 3% of total arrivals. However, the market remains small compared with North America and France, which together provide about 75% of visitors.
French Polynesia welcomed a record 281,227 tourists in 2025, up 6.6% year on year and marking a third consecutive year of growth. Lissant said the performance was led by North America and France, supported by strong connectivity through the U.S. West Coast, alongside improving demand from Europe, Asia and other Pacific markets.
The Sydney route forms part of an effort to reduce reliance on Tahiti’s two largest source regions and develop demand more evenly throughout the year. It also restores another direct link within the South Pacific, complementing existing service to Auckland.
Beyond Australia, Tahiti Tourisme sees North America as offering the strongest near- to medium-term potential. The U.S. West Coast will remain central to that strategy, but Lissant identified Canada as an underserved market and said better connections through additional North American hubs could extend Tahiti’s reach into the U.S. East Coast and inland cities.
Such markets could also help generate traffic outside Tahiti’s traditional peak periods, supporting the tourism board’s goal of reducing seasonality.
South America presents the clearest geographical gap. “It is the only major region that has not yet recovered in terms of air services after COVID, even though we see cultural, leisure, and VFR potential there,” Lissant said.
Asia is another priority as outbound demand continues to recover following the resumption of air services in late 2023. Lissant said future growth could come through a combination of direct routes and improved connections over major Asian hubs rather than nonstop service alone.
“More broadly, efficient hub connectivity is as important as nonstop routes, as it supports diversification, flexibility and more sustainable, year-round traffic flows,” she said.
Tahiti Tourisme supports route development by sharing market intelligence, participating in airline engagement and coordinating with airport and government stakeholders. Once a service is confirmed, the organization provides marketing support, trade education and promotional campaigns intended to improve its long-term viability.
For Sydney, that support will include a dedicated multiyear marketing program targeting Australian travelers and mobilizing French Polynesia’s tourism industry around the market.
The wider growth strategy is intended to generate greater economic value without pursuing volume alone. French Polynesia reached the equivalent of one visitor per resident in 2025, reinforcing the need to balance additional connectivity with environmental and community considerations.
Tahiti’s government-led Fāri’ira’a Manihini 2027 roadmap and a planned 2030 Sustainable Tourism Plan are intended to guide that development. The destination has also undertaken a tourism-sector carbon study, accommodation planning and resident sentiment surveys as it seeks to encourage longer visits and travel across more islands.
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