Nelson Levy Entrepreneur, one of the leading figures in the tourism industry of French Polynesia, founder of the national airline 'Air Tahiti Nui'. Country: France

Biography of Nelson Levy

Nelson Levy, an entrepreneur and prominent figure in the tourism industry of French Polynesia, was the founder of the national airline 'Air Tahiti Nui'. He played a significant role in increasing the country's revenue from tourism. Levy dedicated his efforts to popularizing Tahiti and developing the country's aviation industry. Despite initially planning to pursue a career in journalism, Levy quickly shifted his focus to the more promising and interesting field of tourism. He embraced the industry's boom in the early stages of his professional journey.

In January 1992, Levy assumed a major leadership position as the head of the Tourism Promotion Group of Tahiti, the largest and most important tourism organization in the country. This organization dealt with marketing and information-related matters but faced challenges that affected its overall effectiveness. Levy's efforts led to a significant increase in productivity, ultimately transforming the organization into the modern 'GIE Tahiti Tourisme'. Papeete became the heart of local tourism, where the management of the international advertising campaign called 'Tahiti and Her Islands' was headquartered. The campaign aimed to attract new tourists to Tahiti and French Polynesia as a whole.

In August 1998, Levy left 'Tahiti Tourisme' to become the CEO of 'Air Tahiti Nui'. The airline was established in 1996, and its founders, including Levy himself, quickly realized that they had created a world-class national airline. However, the company only launched its first international flight in 1998 when Levy took on the role of CEO. He skillfully and actively guided the rapidly expanding airline, earning a reputation as a talented and efficient leader. In 2002, Levy was even nominated by 'Travel Agent Magazine' for the 'Manager of the Year' award in the Asia-Pacific region for his achievements at 'Air Tahiti Nui'.

Throughout his career, Levy maintained strong connections in the tourism industry and national politics. He supported the Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party, which opposed French Polynesia's independence from France. To some extent, his political involvement influenced his future career. When supporters of independence unexpectedly came to power, with Oscar Temaru as the leader, Levy lost his position in the airline industry.

However, in 2005, Levy returned to the board of directors of 'Air Tahiti Nui'. This happened after Gaston Tong Sang, a deeply pro-French candidate from the Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party, won the presidential election. Sang sought Levy's assistance as the airline had become commercially unsuccessful by that time. Levy's final project related to the tourism industry was 'easyTahiti.com' - a specialized website dedicated to travel in Tahiti and other islands in French Polynesia. The 'Air Tahiti Nui' press release referred to the website as the country's largest virtual travel agency, which, although somewhat exaggerated, did capture the interest of tourists. Unfortunately, Levy was unable to fully appreciate the success of the project as he unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack just two days after the official launch. Just hours before his death, Levy had organized a barbecue for the employees of 'easyTahiti.com', making his untimely demise a shock to his friends and colleagues.