There was a hint of coconut oil in the air as the Treasures of the South Pacific (ToSP) roadshow rolled into Sydney last night with an encouraging message: we’re back bigger than ever.
Scores of travel agents gathered at the event to hear from various South Pacific destinations and operators on the impressive recovery the region has made post-COVID.
Speaking exclusively to Traveltalk, ToSP Chairman Richard Skewes said the region was one of the first to recover post-pandemic.
“Now we’ve had the opportunity to be able to show our wares to more people than we ever had. In fact, most of the destinations in our region are actually experiencing greater tourism than they did prior to COVID.
“So more and more people are coming and we’re getting a lot of new airlines coming into the destinations as well, with a whole lot of new attractions as a result. There’s new things to do, new opportunities and new resorts opening up too.”
Supported by the Pacific Tourism Office and Pacific Trade Invest Australia and ATIA, the roadshow features 10 National Tourism Offices including Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Tahiti and for the first time – Palau.
Mr Skewes said the roadshow offered a crucial opportunity for pacific destinations get their tourism messages across.
“We want agents to be educated on the destinations. We want to tell them the difference between all the different countries out there because while we have some commonalities, we also have some unique differences too.
“So we’re here tonight to train the travel industry. Get them excited, get them enthused and hopefully get some more visitations over to the islands.”
Mr Skewes added that the role of the travel agent has never been more vital in spreading the message about the South Pacific destinations.
“A lot of people predicted that travel agents would maybe disappear after COVID and the rise of online travel agencies, but in actual fact it’s gone the complete reverse.
“Travel agents are now more important than they ever have been and have more tools at their disposal to give a client the best possible option than they’ve ever had before.”
The roadshow will now visit Melbourne, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, bringing an immersive experience that combines information, entertainment and the chance to win prizes thanks to major sponsor, Fiji Airways.
“The South Pacific is close, it’s affordable and it’s in reach of every single person.”
