Tahiti is making a major play for the Australian market, with new direct flights driving a coordinated push across air, cruise and luxury tourism.
With 118 islands spread across a region roughly the size of Europe, Tahiti hopes to transform its reputation from a once-in-a-lifetime destination to one that travellers can return to again and again.
Leading the charge is Tahiti Tourisme, embarking on a multi-city trade show across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland with a delegation of 30 local tourism partners from 21 organisations in tow.
Guests at the ‘Tahiti Looks Nice!’ trade event on Monday enjoyed a vibrant evening of networking, traditional performances, panel discussions and Tahitian cuisine.
Addressing Certified Tahiti Specialists, travel advisors and industry partners at Sydney’s W Hotel, Tahiti Tourisme CEO Vaihere Lissant said the island nation’s greatest appeal lies in its authenticity.
“In a world that is becoming faster, more standardised and more digital, Tahiti offers something truly genuine. A reconnection to nature, and a reconnection to loved ones,” Lissant said.
Tahiti by air
The ‘Tahiti Looks Nice!’ trade show came ahead of the launch of direct flights between Sydney Kingsford Smith and Faaʼa International Airport on Air Tahiti Nui.
From 15 December 2026, the island nation’s international carrier will operate a bi-weekly service on a schedule designed to coincide with cruise departures.
What’s more, the existing Auckland service will be rescheduled to complement the new Sydney flights, filling timetable gaps to allow greater connectivity.
“We’re going to take over Australia,” Air Tahiti Nui regional director Grant Sinclair said.
“We often hear people talk about the Islands of Tahiti as a once-in-a-lifetime destination, or a bucket-list destination. You won’t hear those words coming out of my mouth. The biggest opportunity with our destination is repeat travel.”
“They need to go there every year. And now with this schedule they can,” Sinclair said.
Over the next 12 months, Air Tahiti Nui will also launch codeshare services in partnership with Qantas from Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Tahiti by sea
The direct service is also set to strengthen links between Australia and Tahiti’s growing luxury cruise sector.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection vice president and general manager Asia Pacific Seb Seward said the timing was particularly significant as the ultra-luxury brand makes its French Polynesia debut.
“Coinciding perfectly with the first Air Tahiti Nui direct flight from Sydney,” Seward said.
The collection’s first superyacht, Evrima, will sail in Tahiti from December 15, 2026. The vessel features capacity for just 298 guests across 149 suites alongside five dining venues and highly personalised service thanks to an almost one-to-one guest-to-staff ratio.
“We’ve really been attracting a new type of guest to cruising. Half of our guests have never cruised before,” Seward said.
Eyeing the Land Down Under
Chair of the Tahiti Tourisme board, Bud Gilroy, said the destination’s investment in Australia had been years in the making.
“We are on our third record year of tourism. Obviously Australia is an important market for us,” he said.
In fact, statistics released by Tahiti Tourisme this month reported a 29 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of Australians travelling to Tahiti in Q1 of 2026.
“Accessibility has always been an issue, which meant Australians often had to travel through Auckland. Sometimes the trans-Tasman can be expensive, and having to spend a night can be a constraint.”
For Air Tahiti Nui, choosing where to fly is not a simple process. The airline operates a fleet of just four aircraft across French Polynesia, Auckland, Paris, Los Angeles and Tokyo. After suspending direct services from Seattle, Gilroy says all eyes turned to Tahiti’s Australian connection.
“We believe in it. If not, we wouldn’t be investing into Sydney,” Gilroy said.
More than a honeymoon destination
While the Islands of Tahiti conjure images of postcard-perfect landscapes and opulent tropical resorts that cater exclusively to Hollywood stars and honeymooners, Gilroy says that the destination boasts diverse offerings for all manner of travellers.
“Above everything, it’s the people that make the difference. It’s a welcoming Polynesian culture where people come, feel welcome and want to stay. I mean, it’s known in history to have caused mutineers to want to stay in Tahiti.”
He said protecting both the visitor experience and local communities remains central to the destination’s long-term tourism and sustainability strategy.
“We’re not pushing to be the next Hawaii, because we want to make sure that people feel welcome. We’re not focused on mass tourism at all. We’d rather have quality over quantity.
“It’s always been in our culture to make sure that there is societal acceptance of tourism, so that the tourists feel welcome. And it’s about also making sure that the resources that we have remain also for our people,” Gilroy said.
He says that maintaining this balance ensures the destination keeps its authenticity.
“People come to the islands because they want to feel exclusive. They want to feel isolated. They want to feel like it’s pristine. That’s what people are looking for now – something authentic, pristine and natural, and that’s what our islands have always offered,” he said.
For advisors, Gilroy says that experiencing the destination firsthand remains one of the most powerful sales tools.
“We have training programs where you get to learn about the islands because you have to know to be able to sell it. But you have to live it as well,” he said.
And it’s hardly a tall order. To echo the 1970s Imperial Leather advertisement that inspired the name of this year’s Pacific Roadshow: Tahiti does look nice indeed.
