And New Planes Bring Hope to Tourism

It's not easy for industry professionals to celebrate in today's tough tourism climate. But the arrival of two new aircraft has given a boost of confidence to New Caledonia's tourism sector.

Air Calédonie International, the national airline, increased its capacity when it took delivery of the aircraft early this year. The Airbus A330-200s have a capacity of 271 passengers each.

The purchase of the aircraft has given New Caledonia more confidence in providing its own air transport links. It no longer has to rely on other airlines which don't have the same level of commitment to the destination. As well as its Pacific islands destinations, the airline has several flights a week to Japan, daily flights to Australia and two flights a week to New Zealand.

New Caledonia attracts just over 100,000 tourists a year, the majority of them from metropolitan France and Japan, followed by Australians and New Zealanders. In anticipation of more tourists, the hotel industry, which has seen major developments over the last 10 years, continues to grow.

In the Southern Province, where the emphasis is on attracting overseas tourists, hotel structures are mainly in the higher price bracket. Despite the closure of Club Med in Noumea, which has seen a significant drop in the number of New Zealand tourists, several large hotel projects have recently been completed, underway or are about to begin.

In the Loyalty Islands of Lifou, Mare and Ouvea, tourism professionals have been concentrating on improving existing structures. Over the past two years, the Loyalty Islands tourism office has been assisting local operators to improve comfort, service and catering standards.

The islands' main accommodation options are in the lower price range. There are relatively few hotels in the higher bracket. A popular choice is village or tribal stays which offer guests accommodation in traditional Melanesian huts and the opportunity to experience local culture.

Also popular on the islands are small budget hotels which offer higher standards of comfort. The tourism office is now looking at how to develop activities to entice tourists to stay longer.

Sustainable tourism is the catchword in the Northern Province which has chosen to develop tourism at grassroots level. Far from the glitzy hotels of the south, it's promoting its natural green image and culture. It has small structures, mainly camping grounds and village stays, aimed at local tourists from Noumea.

With the prospects of a large nickel processing plant in the next few years, the tourism landscape is likely to change. Already, there are plans to build a couple of larger hotels. Construction of an 80-room hotel in Koné, the northern provincial capital, is expected to begin within the next two years.