PAPEETE, Tahiti (30 July 2008) — Tourism officials in French Polynesia are describing the decline in tourist arrivals as the industry's worst ever crisis. The overall decline was 12 percent in June compared to 2007 and the decline in American visitors was a staggering 25 percent. The sharp decline in both US and Japanese visitors was blamed on currency fluctuations, which have made Tahiti a very expensive destination for both nationalities. Tourism officials said many travelers in Europe are going to the Maldives, the Seychelles and the Caribbean, which all over a similar holiday experience but at a significantly lower cost. In 2007, there 218,241 tourist arrivals in Tahiti. CDNN sources in the travel industry predicted the drop in annual visitors to Tahiti during 2008 could exceed 10 percent, which would reduce total touris arrivals to less than 200,000 for the first time since 2002. | 
