A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Tahiti Tourisme and Flight Centre Travel Group’s Luxury Travel Collection, Australia/New Zealand, as the DMO and retail travel network zero in on increasing awareness of Tahiti’s as a high-end leisure destination. The partnership is anchored by Air Tahiti Nui’s new non-stop air service between Sydney and Papeete that launches this December.
Today in Sydney, Bud Gilroy, Chairman of the Board of Tahiti Tourisme and Nikki Glading, General Manager of LTC, formalised the two-year MOU, which the parties say is the “most substantial luxury-trade commitment made in the Australian market for The Islands of Tahiti in more than 17 years”.
Air Tahiti Nui’s new twice weekly, year-round direct flights between Sydney and Papeete eliminate the long-standing bugbear transit via Auckland, which will trim travel time from over 12 hours to around eight. Codesharing with Qantas on the route, the service will be operated by Air Tahiti Nui’s three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, adding more than 60,000 seats annually on the route.
Throught the partnership, LTC’s 600+ luxury advisors across 35+ member agencies will be supported by
a dedicated program covering destination training, curated luxury product, and in-destination
immersion opportunities. The Tahiti Specialist Programme (TSP) becomes the primary credential for
LTC advisors selling The Islands of Tahiti, hosted through LTC’s Galeries de Luxe collection, with
certification the pathway to places on dedicated LTC Immersions, LTC-specific value-adds, and advisorincentive programmes.
“The launch of Air Tahiti Nui’s direct service from Sydney is a defining moment for The Islands of Tahiti
in Australia,” Gilroy said. “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 — and to introduce discerning Australian travellers to the depth of what our five archipelagos offer.”
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for our members,” said Glading. “The Islands of Tahiti is a natural fit for the discerning travellers our advisors serve, and new direct air access opens up an extraordinary luxury destination to the Australian market in a way we haven’t seen before.
“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.
“From certified training and carefully curated luxury product to immersive experiences in
destination for our leading advisors, we’re bringing our members closer to Tahiti, its people and its
product, so they can, in turn, unlock something truly exceptional for their clients.”
The Islands of Tahiti welcomed 281,000 tourists in 2025, marking a third consecutive record year.
Australia is the destination’s fastest-growing source market. The service will commence on 15 December.
Lead image: Four Seasons Bora Bora
