Since July 29, Maupiti Island, located in the Leeward Islands of the Society Archipelago, has banned wild camping on beaches, the public domain and in undeveloped natural spaces. We explain to you.
This is a measure that could change the experience of travelers in Maupiti. Swimming with manta rays, climbing Mount Teurafaatiu or enjoying a white sand beach facing a translucent lagoon: this small volcanic island of the Society archipelago (the smallest inhabited of the Windward Islands, Editor’s note), attracts those looking for a still preserved Polynesia. Nicknamed the « Bora Bora of the 1960s », Maupiti intends to protect its environment against the increase in tourist attendance. Since the end of July, wild camping has been prohibited, by virtue of a municipal ordinance taken by the mayor, Mathilda Valentin.To discover
French Polynesia is experiencing a record tourist influx. In 2025, the territory welcomed 281,227 tourists, 6.6% more than a year earlier and a level never reached, according to the Institute of Statistics of French Polynesia. A progression fueled by both North American and European and French customers, against a background of strengthening air service. From Paris, Papeete is notably connected by Air Tahiti Nui and Air France from Charles-de-Gaulle, via Los Angeles, while French bee operates from Orly via San Francisco. The attractiveness of the five archipelagos is therefore not denied. To the point that the territory now has to deal with the effects of increasing attendance.
« If tourists want luxury hotels, they go to Bora Bora »
The island of Maupiti welcomes nearly 40,000 visitors a year for just over 1,200 inhabitants, according to Tamui Tuheiava, vice-president of the Maupiti Tourism Committee. 55 minutes by flight from Tahiti with Air Tahiti, it is also accessible by sea since the summer of 2024 thanks to the Apetahi Express. Since last May, the two companies have even offered an offer combining plane to Bora Bora and boat to Maupiti. Increased accessibility that benefits the local economy, but also raises the question of the reception capacities of this small territory. « Nor should there be too many people and it should become anything, it must be framed, » explains Tamui Tuheiava to our colleagues at Tahiti Infos.
