French Polynesia shuts to international tourists

Holidays to Tahiti are off the cards for now (photo courtesy Unsplash).

French Polynesia is closing its borders from tomorrow (February 3).

It reopened to international visitors in July but has now suffered a spike in coronavirus cases and is shutting its borders again to try and contain the virus.

French Polynesia is made up of 118 islands, including the popular holiday spots of Bora Bora and Tahiti, and originally closed in March, 2020, after confirming just 62 infections. However, numbers rocketed to 18,000 after its summer reopening on July 15, 2020.

Travellers holidaying on the islands right now will be able to leave at the end of their trip but inbound travellers are being advised to check with their airlines to confirm flight schedules.

The length of this latest closure is unconfirmed by Tahiti Tourisme, who said dates would be “specified in the coming days”.

Exceptions to the travel ban include travelling due to a serious personal matter, an emergency health situation or an urgent professional reason. All passengers under the age of 11 years will continue to be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 certificated taken within 72 hours of travel.