Tourism
Where did the Vistors go?
The Year That Had It All Doesn't Add Up
The South Pacific's total visitor traffic appears to have fallen in 2000 after climbing to a record in 1999, when it exceeded one million visitors for the first time.
In the North Pacific, the three major destinations, Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands, showed renewed growth after steep falls caused by the Asian economic crisis.
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Nearly 10 million visitors reached the Pacific Islands — more than seven million going to Hawaii and more than one million to Guam. But in the South Pacific, total arrivals appear have been below 800,000, according to figures from of the South Pacific Tourist Organization. This is despite the organization's 13 member countries expecting windfall business generated by Millennium events, the Sydney Olympic Games and America's Cup yachting at Auckland. By the end of the first nine months of the year only about 600,000 visitors had arrived in the region, compared with 753,000 in the first nine months of 1999.
In 1999 its 13 member countries and territories received 1,019,541 visitors. Of these 409,955 went to Fiji, 210,800 to French Polynesia and 83,016 to New Caledonia. In 2000, Cook Islands, Samoa, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia had record counts. But the May coup in Fiji cost the South Pacific's main destination more than 120,000 visitors. The June coup in the Solomon Islands extinguished that country's small annual flow of visitors entirely. The political unrest in Fiji and the Solomons cost the region as a whole business from their two main markets, Australia and New Zealand. However, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa and New Caledonia picked up some business from people who otherwise would have booked to holiday in Fiji.
Japanese traffic to Fiji dived. But business from North America and Europe was comparatively little affected. Chris Cocker, SPTO manager for marketing and membership services, said British and European travel companies at the World Trade Market in London showed unflagging interest in the South Pacific. From the marketing aspect, the trouble in Fiji and the Solomons had caused little damage to the region.
NEW CALEDONIA:
Jean-Michel Foutrein, the director of New Caledonia Tourism, said arrivals in 2000 surged to a record 110,000 arrivals from 83,000 the year before: "Tourism is now established as a major industry for New Caledonia, after nickel. We've come a long way since the mid 1999s when we had only two and three star hotels. We now have five stars."
COOK ISLANDS:
The Cook Islands hit 70,000 arrivals, several years ahead of target. The rush now is to ensure the infrastructure can keep up.
TONGA:
Tonga hopes that the opening of jet services to New Zealand and Australia by Royal Tongan Airlines will boost tourist traffic. The airline now operates near-daily services between Auckland and Nuku'alofa.
SAMOA:
Samoa's visitors bureau expects good results from Polynesian’s new Boeing 737-800 jet services to Hawaii and direct service to Australia. A new Samoa/Los Angeles service operated by Air New Zealand is also seen as a growth hope.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
Papua New Guinea's tourist traffic fell in 2000. Its 67,000 visitors were mostly business travelers. The PNG Tourist Authority is greeting a renewal of Air Niugini charter flights to Japan with relief.
VANUATU:
Vanuatu's arrivals rose to 55,000 last year and about 58,000 are expected this year. The continuing challenge: Getting enough hotel rooms.
KIRIBATI:
Kiribati has an agreement under which the Norwegian Shipping Line operates cruises to the Line Islands. It has now been notified by the cruise company that it wishes to operate cruises to Fanning Island at the rate of one a week from December this year to April 2007, with ships carrying up to 2000 passengers.
GUAM:
After several years of decline, the Guam Visitors Bureau released a report for December 2000 that showed an overall 10.2 percent increase when compared to December 1999, bringing a visitor count of 1,288,002. Both Japan and Korea ended strong with a 9.5 percent and 84.1 percent increase, respectively.
N. MARIANAS:
Since a disastrous 30 percent drop in visitor arrivals in 1998, following the Asian financial crisis, the N.Marianas has seen a definite rebound in the industry, though 2000 still brought 180,000 fewer visitors than 1997.
PALAU:
Though absolute numbers of visitors were down in 2000 compared to a peak in 1997, relative tourist income is up.
MICRONESIA:
Visitor counts in all four states were up modestly last year over previous years. Chuuk maintains a steady dive clientele because of the Japanese fleet sunk in its lagoon, while Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap are targeting Asian visitors and niche markets.
MARSHALL ISLANDS:
The most-ever Japanese visitors, and the most overall tourists in 2000 gives the Marshalls’ fledgling industry optimism, though tourists remain just a few thousand annually.
