New Caledonia is resetting how visitors arrive and move around the destination, unveiling a new tourism plan that includes a major change to air travel.
The tourism “recovery plan” lays out big goals, practical changes and a clear intent to compete with the biggest destinations in the Pacific.
At the centre of the initiative is an ambitious target: welcoming 250,000 tourists a year by 2032. That’s almost double the 126,000 visitors recorded in 2023, the destination’s strongest year since the pandemic, excluding cruise passengers.
Unveiled in Noumea by the New Caledonian government, the plan follows a difficult 2024, when civil unrest rocked the country, and positions tourism as a key driver of recovery, diversification and long-term growth.
“New Caledonia must move forward today despite the difficulties,” said Minister for the Economy of the Government of New Caledonia, Christopher Gygès, who detailed the plan.
“Moving forward together, with public and private actors, shows that our plan is both ambitious and realistic, enabling the creation of wealth in New Caledonia – something we urgently need at the moment.
“We must draw inspiration from what works elsewhere, such as in Polynesia or Fiji.”
Speaking to Karryon, New Caledonia Tourism Australian Representative Rebecca Marchal says the government’s priority is firmly on tourism, with a focus on increasing traffic to the Loyalty Islands in particular.
According to Marchal, with all tourism operators back on track, nearly 23,000 Australians visited the island nation in 2025 – “close” to the record 30,000-plus Aussies who landed in New Caledonia in 2023. Australia was also the “fastest market to recover” its tourism.
Flying just got easier
For Australian travellers (and travel sellers), one change will be immediately tangible.
From 2 March 2026, all flights by Air Calédonie – the country’s main domestic carrier – will move from Magenta Airport to Noumea’s main gateway, La Tontouta International.
The shift means international and domestic flights will operate from the same airport, streamlining transfers and improving connectivity.
It also brings domestic passengers into modernised infrastructure designed for higher volumes and smoother connections. Anyone who’s experienced both airports will understand the upgrade this move represents.
Marchal says a priority of the plan is to boost connectivity around the country, especially to the Loyalty Islands and Isle of Pines, two of New Caledonia’s tourism hotspots outside of Noumea.
The new gateway at La Tontouta, she says, will make flop and drop holidays within easier reach – although there will still be a focus on road trips from the capital city.
What’s coming?
The recovery plan itself is broad and deliberately staged. A short-term action plan will drive momentum in the first 100 days, while a longer framework runs through to 2032, the year of the Brisbane Olympic Games.
A key priority is international marketing. Budgets will increase, with Australia, New Zealand and Japan identified as core markets, while joint campaigns with airlines, hotels and tour operators will aim to deliver consistent messaging and better value-led offers.
The government also plans to support bundled flight and accommodation deals and to even host a major television or audiovisual production from 2026 to lift global visibility.
Another pillar is air access. The plan flags proactive pricing in key markets, efforts to attract new airlines and closer partnerships to keep transport costs competitive.
In an effort to boost product diversification, New Caledonia will also look to grow meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, build sports tourism around sailing, golf and kitesurfing (a sport synonymous with Noumea’s Anse Vata beaches), and develop a year-round calendar of cultural and sporting events.
Elsewhere, hotel investment will be encouraged through targeted incentives, with a focus on both property development and alternative stays such as eco-lodges, guesthouses and homestays.
Two new properties underline that intent. Hotel Wadra Bay has just opened in Lifou, offering lagoon bungalows and overwater stays. In Noumea, Aqualuna, a four-star apartment hotel overlooking Anse Vata and Lemon Bay, is scheduled to open in April 2026.
Finally, a new tourism brand will replace the long-running “Pacifique au cœur” (New Caledonia, Pacific heart). A public consultation is underway to define how New Caledonia presents itself to the world.
KARRYON UNPACKS: This new plan matters because it tackles friction and confidence head-on. One airport for all flights is a practical win for travel advisors to sell easily. But the bigger story is intent. New Caledonia is not chasing volume for its own sake. It is chasing value, clarity and relevance. If the execution follows, this is a Pacific neighbour worth reintroducing to your clients’ shortlists.
