Tahiti tourism up as airline competition grows

Tourist arrivals in French Polynesia's high season have risen amid growing airline competition on the route between France and Tahiti.

Figures released by the Tahiti airport company for the period July to September show 22,000 more visitors arrived than in the same period last year, which is a 13-percent increase.

The low-cost carrier French Bee, which began flying to Tahiti this year, flew 19 percent of passengers on the France route, surpassing the market share of Air France.

Air Tahiti Nui has remained the dominant carrier.

There has also been an increase in domestic travel to tourist destinations, which is being attributed to more people being brought into the territory by French Bee.

A total of seven airlines provide international links, including Air New Zealand and Air Calin.