ABSTRACT
Tahiti has a w orldw ide reputation as a tropical paradise yet actually receives few visitors. This chapter explores how images of ‘Tahiti’ unfolded from European exp lo rers’ descrip tions-and how they have been appropriated by o ther destinations. Polynesians have participated in the creation of the images but, thanks in p a rt to the French colonial legacy, they have resisted the transform ation of their islands (their f enua) into a touristed destination. Its continued rem ote exoticism adds value to o ther ‘destinations,’ which exploit the m yth for mass tourism.
