Tourism
New Caledonia's Ambitious Plan
New luxury hotels, ecotourism ventures and a bigger fleet for its international airline are all plans for New Caledonia’s touris
New luxury hotels, ecotourism ventures and a bigger fleet for its international airline are all plans for New Caledonia’s tourism sector in 2001. The year ahead promises to be a busy one for the sector as it attempts to continue to boost tourist numbers from last year’s 110,000 to 120,000. An ambitious undertaking considering it had difficulty even reaching the 100,000 mark over the past 10 years.
But the disappearance of the territory’s main promotional tool on the international market at the end of March raises concern. For 10 years, Nouvelle-Calédonie Tourisme has been selling the country’s fine beaches, marine facilities and the serenity of its countryside on the Japanese, French, Australian and New Zealand markets. The decision to shut down the association was made after a court ruling last year found that funds being used by the government to finance the association were not intended for that use and were therefore, illegal. The country’s three provinces will now be more directly involved in financing external promotion.
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The obvious danger is that instead of advertising one destination, this could result in promotional campaigns for three distinct destinations within the same country. However, Jean-Louis Duteïs, secretary general of the Southern Province, says the closure of the association will not change the situation much. The Southern Province will set up a similar association to take over from where the present territorial one leaves off. It is currently discussing ways to co-ordinate external promotion with the other two provinces. The new association is likely to act as an agent for the Northern and Loyalty Island provinces.
Despite some concern in the hotel industry, Georges Torrani, chairman of the hotel association, believes the closure of the current tourism association will not have a negative impact. The tourism association will be reborn in a new form under the new collaboration between the provinces, he says. “The new association set up by the Southern Province will consult the other two provinces with regards to external promotion. It will create a synergy between the three. We hope the new structure is an improvement and performs a lot better than the previous one.”
Nevertheless, the timing is bad as it coincides with significant developments in the rest of the tourism sector. More than ever, the sector needs a stable promotional tool. The industry hopes the new route linking Noumea to Los Angeles, which French airline, AOM, began operating in November last year, will bring in between 5000 to 6000 American tourists this year as opposed to the 1500 who visited in 2000. But it will take as much publicity as possible to get the most out of this opportunity as New Caledonia is practically unknown in the United States.
However, there are more developments in the pipeline at Aircalin, the country’s international carrier. The airline is currently waiting on a decision on tax exemptions from France, to add to its fleet. Should France agree to the exemptions, they would account for 20% to 30% of the 30 billion CFP investment. Two new A330 Airbuses, with a seating capacity of around 280, would be delivered next year in time to fill the gap Air France will leave when it pulls out of New Caledonia at the end of 2002. Aircalin also plans to purchase a smaller A320 Airbus to replace its Boeing 737. According to Duteïs, if the country expects to increase its tourist numbers, it needs a reliable means of transport. “If we want to develop tourism, New Caledonia has to ensure it has its own means of transport. Tourism is our second largest industry, after metallurgy, with an annual turnover of around 25 billion CFP and has a lot of potential.”
On the hotel front, a new up-market hotel on the island of Ouvea, in the Loyalty Islands, targeting mainly Japanese tourists, opened late last year. The main hotel projects underway now, are centred in the Southern Province.
In Noumea a one billion CFP shopping and hotel apartment complex is already into its second phase of construction while a second, which will include a five-star hotel, is set to begin later this year. Another one billion CFP hotel renovation and extension project, to be completed in 2003, is also underway. On the Isle of Pines, south of the main island, there are plans for a three star hotel with 25 bungalows. A major 30 billion CFP resort project complete with a golf course and marina were given the greenlight last year and construction could begin this year.
Although the first brick is yet to be laid, once complete, this project alone will double the country’s hotel capacity. In contrast to the ambitious hotel projects of the south, the Northern Province is concentrating on developing ecotourism. Rather than target mass tourism, the province is aiming to attract small groups. It is inviting visitors to discover its culture by staying in a local community and relax in the peace and quiet of its vast countryside. Activities such as trekking, mountain biking, horse riding and diving, are designed to entice visitors to stay longer.
This choice of tourism was made so the local population could benefit more directly from the income generated, explains Bernard Chatelain, who in charge of ecotourism in the North. “The advantage of ecotourism is that income passes directly from the client to the producer.”
