PAPEÉTE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Sept. 28) - Last year's 208,067 tourists each spent an average 202,000 French Pacific francs [US$2,242] while visiting Tahiti and Her Islands, a 2.5 percent increase over the 2003 average of 197,000 French Pacific francs [US$2,186], the French Polynesia Statistics Institute reports in its latest study of visitor spending.
The increase in average spending occurred despite a 2.2 percent drop in the volume of visitors.
There were 212,767 tourists in 2003, or 4,700 more than last year. But last year's total tourist spending was fractionally higher--42.109 billion French Pacific francs [US$467.4 million] compared with 42.003 billion [US$466.2 million].
North American, French, non-French European, Japanese, Australian and New Zealand and South American tourists accounted for the overwhelming majority of tourist spending last year in that order.
But only North Americans, French and non-French European visitors spent more per visit...