Resumen de A Future for Tourism in French Polynesia?
This article will demonstrate that although French Polynesia is a small participant in the global economy, it has developed sociospatial relations that interpenetrate with the global scale. Regulation theory has been used because it is concerned with those sociospatial relations that construct scale and thus lead to scale interpenetration. French Polynesia has articulated a dynamic constellation of relations, which has provided it with a high standard of living while it has protected it from mass tourism and avoided commodification of its culture. French Polynesia has manipulated its representation as a paradise to control tourism development locally. It has at the same time leveraged financial support from France, an OECD and EU member, for several decades, on the basis of its continued though varying local “comparative advantage." This support has reduced the urgency of local economic self-sufficiency. French Polynesia is further increasing scale interpenetration by participating in the creation of a regional network within the Pacific to improve its accessibility at different scales and to stimulate economic growth. It will continue to target a wealthy, paradise-seeking tourism niche market for which it already has the image, the landscapes, and much of the superstructure.
