The French Polynesian tourism minister, Steeve Hamblin, said earlier this month, he expects this year’s visitor numbers to reach 160,000 which is the figure reached last year.

This comes as the head of the employers organisation, Luc Tapeta, warned in a news letter that the numbers for 2010 were likely to drop to 130,000.
Mr Hamblin says he is surprised at the low figure as the number for July for example is very positive, with growth forecast for next year.

The minister has also pointed to the potential of Chinese visitors, saying if one million visitors arrived it would yield to the territory more than two billion US dollars which is about the sum transferred by France each year.

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Mr Hamblin says he is surprised at the low figure as the number for July for example is very positive, with growth forecast for next year.
The minister has also pointed to the potential of Chinese visitors, saying if one million visitors arrived it would yield to the territory more than two billion US dollars which is about the sum transferred by France each year.
This comes as the head of the employers organisation, Luc Tapeta, warned in a news letter that the numbers for 2010 were likely to drop to 130,000.