Europe

French Polynesia to Limit Number of Tourists

Travellers might soon face restrictions when trying to reach French Polynesia as the region has decided to cap tourist numbers.

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Announcing a new sustainable tourism plan, which is set to apply until 2027, the French Polynesian government said that it aims to set a limit of one foreign tourist per local resident.

This means that the region plans to limit the number to only about 280,000 visitors, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Despite the government announcing the five-year strategic mission, CNN has explained that it is still unclear whether the new visitor cap will also apply to French nationals.

According to CNN, the Fāri’ira’a Manihini 2027 (FM27) document recognises that the tourism sector is an important source of employment as well as revenue for residents of French Polynesia. Nonetheless, it points out that by limiting the number of visitors the region will be able to promote sustainable tourism.

The same source explains that under the five-year plan, the government aims to diversify visitors from different countries and to make it possible to grow its economy while at the same time preserving the environment and the life quality of its residents.

In addition, the document highlights that the end goal is to make a transition to inclusive tourism, suggesting that French Polynesia wants to attract visitors from different parts of the world.

Data provided by the Worl Bank show that French Polynesia registered around 300,000 visitors arrivals in 2019 – its highest number ever. Now that there are no longer COVID restrictions in place for tourists, it is believed that the number of visitors registered by the end of this year will be even higher.

Apart from French Polynesia, there are some other cities and countries that have also taken similar measures.

Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that the Italian city of Venice will soon impose a daily tax to tackle over-tourism. Starting the next year, all international travellers who plan on visiting Venice will be subject to the requirement to pay a tourism fee in order to be permitted to enter the city.

Besides being required to pay a fee, tourists will also have to make a reservation in advance. Local media have reported that the price of the ticket will range from €3 to €10 and it has been explained that the price will depend on the time of the year.

Tickets have already started being available online since June 2022 and all those who plan on visiting the city next year are advised to book one in advance.

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