quivivraverra

One of my favourite pieces of media of all time, hands down.

At the point where the influx of tourists surpasses the organic capacity of the place, as it's the case in Bora Bora with the Four Seasons and St Regis (and the other resorts) for example. In Maupiti everything's run by locals, so once all the guesthouses/pensions are booked - max capacity is reached. The influx is thus controlled organically.

Tourism is not a problem. Mass tourism is. Tourism is welcome in reasonable numbers and a great source of income for the locals in a place with not many ways to make money.

The islands do have mosquitoes; their peak is during the wet season (December-March) + dawn/dusk.

Definitely, but Maupiti is the island which provides the most similar experience to Bora Bora specifically. They're close to each other and have had strong historical cultural links. For example, if someone was more into lush vegetation, mountainous, cultural stuff, I’d recommend Huahine. Tahaa has the vanilla and pearls. Etc. Different islands have different things going for them.

No, we call it Metropolitan France (la Métropole) or European France (le territoire européen de la France). First one is the actually most common one, second one is the “politically correct” one.

There are different dynamics at play here. The people of Maupiti have opposed the development of hotels and resorts from the beginning - even turning down offers - in order to avoid becoming a major tourist destination, unlike Bora Bora and other islands. At the same time, tourists are very welcome on Maupiti, as long as they come in limited numbers. As mentioned, all accommodations are provided by locals. Tourism is an important source of income for a place with little industry.

Maupiti doesn’t have the massive tourist infrastructure that Bora Bora has - and it likely never will. Bora Bora received significant foreign investment to become what it is today: the go-to destination for a luxurious tropical paradise experience. Even larger islands, like Moorea, have tried to reach the same level of fame, but haven’t been able to match Bora Bora’s status. For example, there are no hotels or resorts on Maupiti - accommodation is limited to locally run pensions.