Tahiti Tourisme has signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding with The Luxury Travel Collection ahead of Air Tahiti Nui’s new direct Sydney–Papeete service, launching 15 December 2026.
New route restores direct connectivity
The service will operate twice weekly year-round on Air Tahiti Nui’s 294-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, supported by a codeshare with Qantas. The route adds more than 60,000 seats annually, removes the need to transit via Auckland, and reduces travel time from more than 12 hours to approximately eight.
Tahiti Tourisme chairman Bud Gilroy described the MOU as the most substantial luxury-trade commitment made in the Australian market for The Islands of Tahiti in more than 17 years.
“Signing this MOU with The Luxury Travel Collection means we arrive at that moment with the network, the expertise, and the reach to make the new route a genuine commercial success,” Gilroy said.
LTC advisors gain dedicated training pathway
Under the partnership, LTC’s more than 600 luxury advisors across more than 35 member agencies will have access to destination training, curated luxury product and in-destination immersion opportunities. The Tahiti Specialist Programme becomes the primary credential for LTC advisors selling the destination, hosted through LTC’s Galeries de Luxe collection, with certification providing a pathway to LTC Immersions, value-adds and advisor incentive programmes.
LTC general manager Nikki Glading said the partnership was designed to give advisors deeper product knowledge rather than simple access.
“For LTC, this partnership is about going beyond access to the destination itself. It’s about giving our members the kind of privileged access, knowledge and first-hand experience that allows them to sell it differently,” Glading said.
The Islands of Tahiti welcomed 281,000 tourists in 2025, marking a third consecutive record year, with Australia identified as the destination’s fastest-growing source market. Travel advisors can register interest in the Tahiti Specialist Programme via tahititourisme.au or through their LTC-affiliated agency from October 2026.
