Earlier this month, Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze referred to as at Tahiti, Bora Bora, Raiatea and Moorea to have a good time its connections to that French abroad territory for 35 years. Onboard for a portion of the cruise was French Polynesia’s elected president, Edouard Fritch. He spoke with Journey Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann during the sailing in an unique interview. Hironui Johnston, a senior authorities advisor, served as translator.
Edouard Fritch
Q: Along with your different duties, you assumed particular accountability for tourism in February. Why?
A: I am chargeable for the financial improvement of the outer islands. I noticed that tourism is much less damaging and might carry extra jobs than different types of improvement. After consulting with residents, we got here up with a technique. Its title, Fari’ira’a Manihini, means “to just accept visitors.” That’s the underlying idea. For instance, when you’re visiting mates of their houses, you’re residing as they’re residing, you’re consuming the identical meals and also you’re having fun with the expertise. The inhabitants on these islands has the will to share their tradition with the world and might do it by means of tourism whereas additionally rising prosperity.
Q: Through the pandemic, many residents of Hawaii had been delighted that there have been no vacationers. That they had the seashores to themselves, site visitors was much less congested and there was the sensation amongst some residents that, with out vacationers, “we have now our islands again.” That added a degree of urgency to initiatives that had been underway to contain native communities extra in tourism advertising and marketing choices. Did one thing related occur within the more-visited islands in French Polynesia?
A: No. In Hawaii, you’ve 400,000 Hawaiians surrounded by 6 million vacationers. Our aim is to have one vacationer arrival per resident. That’s the solely means for everyone to reside collectively. Through the pandemic, those that had been concerned in tourism exercise suffered, as a result of vacationers are a part of their life.
Q: How did your imaginative and prescient for tourism evolve through the pandemic?
A: In French Polynesia, we had at all times been advocates for high-end resorts. It is from the U.S., removed from Europe. So, we thought that those that invested a whole lot of time to come back right here had been entitled to high-end service, and centered on high-end tourism. However there are various kinds of vacationers who sacrifice to come back and go to our islands. A traditional French household could save for half their life for one journey to French Polynesia. They need to even be entitled to find the islands. We realized it’s not about luxurious, it’s about high quality.
Take a look at Bora Bora. It is a small island. We all know we’ll by no means win on quantity, however we’ll win on high quality. If you happen to have a look at Fiji, 15 years in the past, we had been on the similar degree of arrivals. However right now, they’ve tens of millions of vacationers coming by means of, but the financial impression of their mass tourism is possibly simply 25% increased. We do not need that right here. We need to protect the environment.
Q: Many locations have discovered that it has been tough to handle the interval popping out of the pandemic. Are you going through challenges?
A: It’s difficult as a result of, for 2 years, there’s a lack of secure indicators and dependable knowledge. We’ve lived with uncertainty. Partly, that’s the reason I am on this cruise. I need to thank Windstar president Chris Prelog for not ready longer. Windstar was among the many first traces to restart. He took dangers. We’ve a great relationship with Windstar, partly as a result of it has a ship [the Wind Spirit] that first sailed right here 35 years in the past. Not simply visiting and going.
It is my dream that, as Windstar visits every island, a bunch of singers or dancers comes onboard to carry out and different folks from the islands board to exhibit their handcrafted creations on the deck.
Q: With local weather change, the oceans will rise. A few of your inhabited islands are solely about 4 or 5 ft above sea degree. Will you be transferring these folks to different islands?
A: It is very tough. The folks don’t need to go away the islands. It is their cultural id, they’re hooked up to the land. They’d relatively die on their island than transfer. We’re on the lookout for different options.
