French Polynesia: International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 9.7% from US$268 million in 2011 (1.87% a year on average, compounded). Since 2002 it is up 196.97% from US$99 million in 2002 (8.08% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 2 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2016, French Polynesia's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) rose 0.7% on 2015 (from US$292 million to US$294 million).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2015), the average change was +14.3% and a typical year strayed about 24.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 72.7% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 17.2% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2008 to 2016 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$14.63 million a year. A straight line explains 72% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to French Polynesia in the 2016 ranking

• Venezuela, RB — 2nd of 4: US$73 million
• Barbados — 3rd of 4: US$33 million
• Congo, Rep. — 4th of 4: US$1.9 million

What this measures

International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 13 values

International tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) in nearby economies

• Australia — US$567 million (2020)
• Cambodia — US$96 million (2020)
• Fiji — US$85 million (2020)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$6.33 billion (2019)
• Indonesia — US$221 million (2020)
• Japan — US$798 million (2020)
• Korea, Rep. — US$1.25 billion (2020)
• Lao PDR — US$14 million (2020)

More private sector & trade data for French Polynesia

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$2.45 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$175 million (2025)
• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 38.74% (2024)
• Agricultural raw materials imports (% of merchandise imports) — 0.8% (2025)
• Food imports (% of merchandise imports) — 17.61% (2025)
• Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — 0.46% (2025)
• Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) — 40.39% (2025)
• Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports) — 0.48% (2025)
• Agricultural raw materials exports (% of merchandise exports)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is French Polynesia's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$)?

US$294 million in 2016, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is up 196.97% from US$99 million in 2002 (8.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$325 million in 2014 and the lowest US$99 million in 2002.

Is the latest change in international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) unusual for French Polynesia?

In 2016, French Polynesia's international tourism, receipts for passenger transport items (current US$) rose 0.7% on 2015 (from US$292 million to US$294 million). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2015), the average change was +14.3% and a typical year strayed about 24.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.TRNR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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