Green Travel: French Polynesia The Next Country To Cap Tourist Numbers

French Polynesia is taking climate change seriously and is now making plans to cap tourist numbers to protect the beautiful islands. Basically, the island nation wants to set an annual cap of one international traveler per local resident. This means it won’t be quite as easy to hop on a plane and head to paradise. Read on to find out more about the islands’ plans for green and sustainable tourism.

French Polynesia to cap visitor numbers

With climate change always in the headlines, many countries are finally taking steps to protect their delicate ecosystems from overtourism. Bhutan recently introduced a daily tourist tax, while the Italian city of Venice is also taking steps to tax daytrippers heading into the city.

The latest country to come up with a sustainable travel plan is the beautiful islands of French Polynesia. Under the Fāri’ira’a Manihini 2027 (FM27) five-year strategic plan, the government of French Polynesia is planning to cap the number of foreign visitors heading to the islands. In fact, the plan is to set an annual cap of one international traveler per each local resident. As the local population is some 280,000 residents, it won’t be as easy to visit the islands in the future.

So far, it is unclear whether the cap would apply to French nationals as the country is a territory of France. It could mean that anyone with a French passport would not be considered a foreign visitor by law.

Bora Bora, Tahiti and Mo’orea in French Polynesia

Located in the South Pacific, French Polynesia is well known for popular locations like Bora Bora, Tahiti and Mo’orea. Each location has idyllic beaches, crystal clear waters and more, making them the perfect getaway. Meanwhile, the capital, Papeete, is also a popular destination and is located on Tahiti.

While capping numbers and protecting the ecosystem of the islands is important, the FM27 report does acknowledge that tourism is an important source of revenue and employment for local residents. However, included in the plans for the visitor cap, other changes will include a more thoughtful kind of tourism.

Under the FM27 plan, French Polynesia’s government aims to encourage travelers from various parts of the world. The plan is also to:

Diversify the different kinds of visitors, make it possible to reconcile economic growth with the preservation of the environment, the quality of life of the populations and the appreciation of our heritage.

Under the report, French Polynesia’s stated end goal will be to “transition to an inclusive and sustainable tourism model.”

Is there overtourism in French Polynesia?

While making plans to encourage sustainable and green travel is worthy of applause, The Independent notes that it may seem strange that French Polynesia wants to cap visitors. Moreover, from data from the World Bank, it seems overtourism isn’t actually an issue on the islands.

The data revealed that French Polynesia welcomed around 300,000 visitors in 2019, which is reportedly the higher number ever. However, the new long-term plan could have been influenced by other similar models around the world. It is possible the islands want to cap tourists before there could be a future overtourism problem.

Other countries fighting overtourism

As mentioned, Bhutan in central Asia is setting a great example of a government planning tourism carefully and thoughtfully. As with French Polynesia, the small kingdom does rely on tourism for its economy. This has led to Bhutan attracting richer folk by charging a $200 per person per day “tourist tax.”

In fact, the government theorizes that only the most dedicated international travelers will be able to visit the country. Meanwhile, the income from the tourist tax will be used to support local communities. The money will help with education, healthcare and training to work efficiently in the travel sphere.

Moreover, the popular Italian city of Venice definitely suffers from overtourism. A while back, the city’s government banned large cruise ships from the lagoon. Since then, Venice’s leaders have put a plan in place for daytrippers, with a daily tax payable to make up for the lack of revenue from hotel stays in the city. In the meanwhile, Venice is cracking down on the many properties listed on Airbnb in an effort to cut down on the crowds of visitors.

Meanwhile, many popular destinations around Europe have had to impose stricter measures in recent years to combat the flow of tourists. Venice isn’t alone, as cities like Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Barcelona in Spain are also taking steps to fight overtourism.