In exciting news for Australians seeking a tropical escape or a quick French getaway, the South Pacific destination of New Caledonia is again ready to welcome travellers. Along with increased flight capacity from the east coast to New Caledonia, Smart Traveller has recently downgraded its travel advice to the destination following the removal of the nation’s curfew on the 2nd of December.
Prior to temporarily pausing tourism last year, New Caledonia welcomed a record amount of visitors from Australia, where it surpassed its pre-pandemic numbers, and the Australian market became the second-largest market after France. With the destination entering a phase of recovery, it is once again ready to warmly welcome visitors to the archipelago.
“The lifting of the curfew in December was a huge relief for everyone in New Caledonia, and with the downgraded travel advice, we can again reassure Australians how safe it is to visit this little slice of paradise,” said Rebecca Marchal, Account Director for New Caledonia Tourism in Australia. “The changed travel advice and an increase in flight capacity means that Australian travellers can again experience the unique and rich culture of New Caledonia.”
The news of the updated travel advice was the final stepping stone in the recovery process following the announcement of the curfew being lifted, increased flights by the national carrier Aircalin and testimonies from suppliers of their readiness to welcome travellers again. After expanding flight services to New Caledonia in December to operate two flights per week from Sydney to Noumea, Aircalin has announced plans to increase services to three flights per week during peak school holidays in April, June, July, August, September and October 2025 from Sydney and Brisbane.
Qantas has also announced it will, by the end of March, operate 3 flights per week from Brisbane and 3 flights per week from Sydney to New Caledonia, in light of the increasing demand. These increased flight schedules by both Aircalin and Qantas during the school holidays in 2025 will provide greater flexibility and convenience for travellers.
Coinciding with the official reopening, the New Caledonia tourism board has launched a new campaign, “New Caledonia, a new chapter awaits”. The campaign represents a reinvigorated vision of New Caledonia as a destination that offers transformative, authentic, and meaningful travel experiences, focusing on positioning New Caledonia as a destination for renewal and connection, embracing sustainability as a core value, and, most importantly, rebuilding confidence by redefining New Caledonia as a safe, welcoming and easily accessible destination.
Alongside the “New Chapter” campaign, the tourism board has also been running a digital initiative called “Eternal NewCal”, in which local operators encourage tourists to return to the country via a series of video messages.
These efforts mark a pivotal step in the territory’s recovery and growth as a premier South Pacific destination, offering unique and culturally rich experiences just a short flight from Australia.
