Big jump in

T ahiti travel figures for 1967

From a Papeete correspondent Tahiti’s tourist industry took a

artling upwards swing last year,

ith a percentage increase of 5.52 over 1966 figures, reflect g mainly the tremendous in ■ease in the number of US visi ts.

Of a total number of 23,574 >itors in 1967, 67.27 per cent., or ,857, were Americans. US visitors creased 57.12 per cent, in the year, ,092 having visited in 1966.

All these were air arrivals. In dition, another 43,021 visitors ssed through as passengers on 68 use ships which made Tahiti a port call.

The 1967 visitor figures were re sed in Papeete by the manager of ' Tahiti Tourist Development ard, Mr. Jean Pigoreau. He said irism, and in particular American irism, had become Tahiti’s major vate industry. [n 1966 Tahiti had 16,200 tourists, ich was less than had been )ected. In some previous years e bomb” had affected the figures, 1 in one year visitors were less n the previous year, but the latest ires seem to indicate that Tahiti yver this hump.

The reasons

fhe TTDB attributes the 1967 rt to three major factors: The TTDB “Come to Tahiti” advertising campaign, the first such advertising ever done by Tahiti, with ads appearing in both consumer and travel industry publications.

Strong promotion and advertising by the newly expanded Club Mediterranee, offering an attrac tively-priced package Polynesian vacation in its resort villages on French Polynesia’s outer islands.

Club Mediterranee, long popular j n Europe with its gregarious “vacation villages” for active young people, is just being dis covered by Americans in Tahiti. (Over)

• Substantial fare cuts on Pacific air routes, put into effect in April, 1967, and amounting to up to 30 per cent, reductions in fares on routes touching Tahiti.

The statistics showed a significant Irop in the age range of the average Fahiti visitor as well, attributable to 30th the youth appeal of Club Vlediterranee and air fare cuts, bring ng Tahiti within range of a younger ige group.

According to estimates based upon lotel rates, tour costs, restaurant >rices, etc., the average tourist in fahiti spends $4O a day during his tay, and the average length of stay n the islands during 1967 was 6.7 lays, again showing an increase over irevious years.

The greatest proportion by far of JS visitors (55.24 per cent.) are rom the West Coast. As do many >ther areas, Tahiti has winter and ummer visitor peaks, but these peaks re only slightly higher than the rest f the year, and Tahiti might well e said to enjoy steady year-round purism to match its pleasant year ound sub-tropical climate.

The TTDB expects visitor figures 3 maintain the present high rate f growth, and to increase even faster □on. Two new international-class otels presently under construction nd scheduled for opening within the ext year will more than double the umber of rooms available on Tahiti, lew air routes and increased direct :t service on established routes this ear will make the area more ccessible.

REPRESENTATIVES of eight air lines will attend a conference in .abaul on April 12-13 with the aim f forming a Melanesian airline ssociation which would pool lechanical and operational facilities i the area.

The eight airlines are Papuan jrlines, Territory Airlines, Crowley Jrlines, South Pacific Airlines, AA, Helicopter Utilities, Plantation barters and Missionary Aviation ellowship.

The conference has been arranged Y the Rabaul Chamber of Com lerce, which expects that Fiji Air ays Limited will also send a ;presentative.

EXPANSION of regional and -4 domestic air services of British ssociated territories in the South

Pacific were the subject of govern ment-to-government talks held in Suva in late March.

Three major powers—Britain, Australia and New Zealand—and five Islands governments—Fiji, Tonga, the BSIP, the New Hebrides and the GElC—were represented at the talks.

Representatives of four airlines— Qantas, BOAC, Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways Ltd.—also took part.

The talks primarily concerned Fiji Airways’ domestic and regional air services. The airline’s aircraft require ments several years ahead were closely looked at (Fiji Airways is

keen to acquire its second HS 748 prop-jet aircraft, as its first one has been very successful).

The talks also included proposed internal air services for the GEIC and Tonga, and a review of current in ternal air services in the BSIP.

The talks closely followed a New Guinea report that Megapode Air ways, a subsidiary of Crowley Air ways, Lae, is being sold to another New Guinea airline, Macair Holdings, of Goroka.

Megapode Airways, with two small planes, at present is the only internal airline operating in the BSIP.