Seminar Series 2005
2005 Conference on Terrestrial and Marine Interactions: Landuse Planning to Promote Marine Conservation
Sustainable Tourism in French Polynesia: Opportunities for Ecological and Cultural Preservation & Interpretation
Shannah Anderson
UC Berkeley
Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, an important
economic resource for most nations,
making up more than 10% of the global economy (WTTC, 2004;
UNEP, 2003). In French Polynesia, tourism is one of the
top three sources of current and future income for the islands’
residents (Bank of Hawaii, 2000). Typically, what is thought
of when discussing tourism in French Polynesia are large-scale
resorts, which are thought to ignore or even harm natural
resources. Tourism, as it has been developed in French Polynesia,
does not address the demands and expectations of all tourists,
and if it overlooks the very resources that attract visitors
in the first place, could ultimately discourage the viable
development of sustainable tourism along the islands.
In addition to the typical tourist vacation, there could be a market for tourism in French Polynesia emphasizing ecological and cultural experiences. Much of this type of tourism is termed ‘ecotourism’, defined by the International Ecotourism Society as “..responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and sustain the well being of local people” (IES, 2004). Worldwide, ecotourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry with an annual growth rate ranging between 10-30%, compared to the global tourism growth rate of 4% per year (WTO, 2004; Filion, 1992).
In French Polynesia this market is currently limited,
but could grow as interest in ecology and local culture
increases and is made more accessible. With their rich ecological
resources and traditional agricultural heritage, the French
Polynesian islands could readily develop ecological and
cultural-based tourism that would appeal to domestic and
international visitors.
This presentation seeks to identify models and principles
for eco-tourism and to define opportunities on the island
of Moorea for sustainable tourism, as well as the ability
of such sites to educate visitors about the island’s
cultural and natural resources.
Works Cited
Bank of Hawaii report, “An Update on French Polynesia,”
August 2000
Filion, F.L., Foley J.P. and Jaquemot A.J. (1992) “The
Economics of Global Ecotourism.” Paper
presented at the IV World Congress on National Parks and
Protected Areas. Caracas,
Venezuela.
International Ecotourism Society IES (2004): http://www.ecotourism.org
United Nations Environmental Program UNEP; Economics: Production
and Consumption
http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/
World Travel & Tourism Council WTTC (2004) Report on
the Economic Contribution of Travel
& Tourism to the Global Economy; based on research done
by Wharton Econometric
Forecasting. http://www.wttc.org
