Why did European ships begin making regular calls at Wallis and Futuna in the 1820s?

European ships began making regular calls at Wallis and Futuna in the 1820s primarily due to the expansion of the whaling industry into the Pacific region.1

During this period, whaling vessels frequently required locations to go ashore to refit their ships, and the establishment of exchange trading helped meet these needs. While earlier European contact with the islands had been sporadic—with sightings by Dutch explorers in 1616 and Captain Samuel Wallis in 1767—the rise of commercial whaling expeditions in the 19th century created a sustained demand for such stops, leading to more frequent and regular visits to the islands.21