New Caledonia was "largely indifferent to tourists ... as long as nickel mining remained economically dominant". [1] After the Korean War and Vietnam War, world prices for nickel collapsed (1970s) and aggressive marketing campaigns were initiated for the territory. [2]
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Cheap tourist packages were offered to Australians promising the 'Paris of the Pacific' and visitor numbers increased from less than 5000 to 20,000 in just 5 years. [4] 37,000 tourists annually took cruises (mostly from Australia) and this allowed more hotels to be built in the 1970s and, in 1979, Club Mediterranee arrived. [5] The tourist market had shifted by the 1980s from Australia to Japan which became the target of many tourism campaigns. [6] By 2007, about 100,000 tourists visited each year.
