THE South Pacific Tourism Council is turning the spotlight on agent education this year after seeing a significant increase in demand for the South Pacific as a single- centre destination.
Its figures show that 50,607 people visited the South Pacific from the UK in 1998, an 11% increase on 1997.
SPTC regional manager Amanda Hill said:”The stopover market is still growing but a lot more of the traffic is staying longer at the destination.”
For example, Sunset Faraway Holidays, which sells French Polynesia as a stand-alone destination, is predicting a 30 % rise in sales in 1998/1999. “It could even be as much as 50%,” said managing director Harvin Kaumaya.
Hill added: “A lot of people have already done stopovers and want to investigate more. We have also found that the millennium has turned the focus to the South Pacific. This increase in consumer interest warrants a greater focus on agent education. There is a lot for them to learn.”
In response the SPTC, in conjunction with Air New Zealand, is investing £50,000 in a nationwide roadshow involving presentations and workshops on all 13 member countries. The roadshow will also feature performances by a group of 10 dancers from the Cook Islands.
“Culture and festivities are such an important part of what we offer. We want to make sure agents understand that,” said Hill.
Dates and venues of the roadshows are yet to be confirmed.
The Council will also be inviting agents on educationals to the South Pacific to coincide with the ABTA convention in Australia this November. A total of 60 agents are expected to be invited compared with the usual figure of just 15 in a year.
On the consumer side, the council is linking up with five tour operators – Austravel, Tradewinds, Destination Pacific, Jetset and All Ways Pacific – to stimulate public interest through press coverage and joint advertising campaigns.
Tour operators are also responding to the growth of the South Pacific as a stand-alone destination by broadening the range of product on offer.
Now in its second year of business, specialist operator TransPacific Holidays, is boosting coverage in its brochure from 68 pages to 100 after bookings in the first year exceeded the target figure.
Chief executive Malcolm James said: “We set a modest target of 500 clients and achieved about 650.”
For Jetabout the South Pacific remains primarily a stop-over destination. Nevertheless, product manager Sally Pollitt said the operator has seen an increase in the average length of stay from three nights to a week over the past two years and is expecting that figure to rise again with additional new product. Jetabout expects a 30% increase in visitors to the South Pacific in the year 1999/2000.
The operator has expanded its Fiji programme with the addition of northern Fiji, a 1hr flight from Nadi on the main island.
“The north is very different to the rest of the country. It is much more lush. Accommodation tends to be in small guest houses or Bures,” added Pollitt.
Tradewinds has increased its programme sixfold with the addition of Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu to its Worldwide brochure.
Similarly, the Destination Group has added Western Samoa, Papa New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia to be featured in its new brochure due out in the autumn.
Prices start at £1,575 for 14 nights comprising seven nights at the Sonaisali Island Resort and seven nights at the Hideaway Resort in Fiji based on flights with Air New Zealand.
A 14-night holiday combining seven nights at the Edgewater resort and seven nights at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort leads in at £1,789.
All holidays are based on flights with Air New Zealand.