On its website, the New Caledonia tourist office invites you to come and “unravel the mysteries” of the island which is home to the largest lagoon in the world… Attracted by the promise of a heavenly Pacific Ocean, hundreds of tourists who went on vacation to this part of the globe today find themselves cornered by the French army and the riots, which have already left five dead and hundreds injured.
Among these vacationers is Nicholas Agustin, 36 years old. This owner of an Australian painting company landed in Nouméa with his girlfriend last week. When he arrived, he saw some peaceful demonstrators. But “the following days, there were a lot of people taking to the streets with banners,” he said. We saw hooded men with sticks. There was smoke in the city center. »
“We are risking our lives”
Tourism, a vital industry for the archipelago, was damaged by the Covid-19 pandemic but regained its splendor last year with the arrival of 125,900 vacationers, according to the local government. Except that for Sophie Parkinson, “the situation is terrifying”. She went to Nouméa for work, where her son and her husband were to join her for a vacation but “they didn’t come and now I’m stuck here, not knowing when I can return home,” she fears. . She moved in with her father, who lives on the island, and helps her neighbors protect their neighborhood. “When we go out shopping, we risk our lives,” she says.
Nicole George, an Australian professor, also traveled to New Caledonia for professional reasons. Near his hotel were built barricades, guarded by residents with baseball bats. “The situation is very tense. People are exhausted, they are terrified and tired,” she says. In stores, the stalls are empty and some bakers advise customers to reserve their bread a day in advance, says Nicole George.
Social media is littered with messages calling for help written by tourists and visitors. Australian diplomats therefore had to face the anger of nationals stuck in New Caledonia, many tourists who came to visit the island coming from this neighboring country. Annelise Young, Australia’s consul general in Nouméa, spoke of a “distressing time” for tourists and urged them to register on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs’ crisis portal. But with commercial flights suspended, travelers are likely to endure a long and agonizing wait.