Aussie Visitors In New Caledonia Increase, Says New Caledonia Tourism

New Caledonia Tourism (NCTPS) has announced its latest visitor arrival figures, finishing 2016 with an impressive nine per cent increase from Australia year on year, and maintaining its status as the second largest market for New Caledonia after France.

As one of Australia’s closest Pacific island destinations, with the world’s largest lagoon, incredible gastronomic offerings and diverse landscapes, NCTPS says it is easy to see why New Caledonia is attracting an increasing number of Aussies to its shores.

NCTPS has attributed this increase in visitation to strong visible campaigns in-market, which have differentiated New Caledonia from its competitors as a distinctive destination with a unique experiential offering.

Recent campaigns include the virtual-reality campaign, for which the NCTPS was recently awarded Best Tourism Video in the Destination Category at the inaugural Tourism and Cultural Video Award in Cannes, France. The video was acknowledged for its originality, innovation and garnered a high level of engagement on social media platforms.

NCTPS Australia Director, Caroline Brunel, said this consistent growth in tourism was a great achievement for the tourism board and partners, and an exciting time for the destination.

“We are thrilled to see that more and more Aussies are choosing New Caledonia for their holidays. The proximity of the destination makes it the ideal location for Australian travellers and we are eager to showcase different elements of the destination, driving further increase in visitation from this market,” Ms Brunel said.

“Our latest campaign, #TasteNewCaledonia, is aimed at positioning New Caledonia as a culinary hot-spot with a multitude of gastronomic offerings, whether they be from the French influence, the blue waters of the crystal clear lagoon (the world’s largest), the more rural ‘cowboy country’ in the west, the Gallic hub of Noumea or the traditional Kanak culture in the east.

“The diversity of New Caledonian cuisine and landscapes is what sets this destination apart from its neighbours so by shining a spotlight on this we will put New Caledonia firmly on the map for food-enthusiasts,” Ms Brunel said.