The Travel Bug 25

Issue 25 - March 2007

Air Caledonie Considering Regional Flights

New Caledonia’s domestic airline Air Calédonie (AirCal) has started to renew its aging ATR fleet with new series ATR-42-500 and, late last year, an ATR-72-500. The planes are part of an order for three new turbo-prop ATR series 500 aircraft (1 ATR 42-500 and 2 ATR 72-500) for an estimated fifty million US dollars. AirCal Chairman Nidoïsh Naisseline said last year the new planes would not only allow AirCal to increase its seat capacity, but could also herald the beginning of future Pacific regional developments. “This is also a tourism development tool. Why not use them to fly to the Cook Islands or Vanuatu?” he said at the time. In Vanuatu’s Southern island of Tanna, a French-funded airport, which was completed in the late 1990s, was designed to the specifications of an ATR. (Source: Oceania Flash News 02/02/2007)

Nomads and Global Gossip Sending 2 Lucky Winners to Vanuatu

Nomads Moorings Hotel, Port Vila Vanuatu will be opening their doors for business soon! And to celebrate, Nomads & Global Gossip are teaming up to give one lucky winner a trip for two, including airfare courtesy of Air Vanuatu! How does it work? Each week, entrants must answer a question about Nomads, Global Gossip, or Vanuatu to be entered to win one of 10 fantastic weekly prizes. Each weekly winner (and customers may enter every week if they wish!) will then be entered for the final drawing of the amazing grand prize! Click here to enter the competition. (Source: south-pacific.travel update)

South Pacific Tourism Organisation has New Identity

Leading Tourism Organisation for the South Pacific, south-pacific.travel formerly known as the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), has taken on a 3rd millennium name to draw attention to its rapidly developing portal. Director Paul Hughes said “new media is the greatest thing that’s happened for economic growth in the region. We intend to milk it for all it’s worth.” south-pacific.travel has about 200 private sector members across the Pacific. Members receive benefits such as features and links on the official destination portal for the South Pacific (which received 743,000 visitors in 2006), regular market intelligence, and participation in marketing and development programmes. (Source: south-pacific.travel update)

$2 Billion South Pacific Tourism Revenue by 2010

South Pacific’s tourism marketing and development organisation, south-pacific.travel, has announced a target revenue for the sector of USD2 billion pa by 2010. Recently appointed Chief Executive Tony Everitt said in Suva today “I have been surprised in my initial travels around the region to find that Tourism is not a well understood sector. We believe we are the largest industry in the region, and certainly have the greatest sustainable growth potential. Quantifying this potential in a hard target that everyone can remember and understand is a step towards making it happen.” south-pacific.travel carried out analysis on the value of Tourism to the region in 2005. The analysis conservatively estimated the sector’s value at about USD1 billion in 2000, from a little under 1 million international visitors. By 2004 the figures had grown to USD1.5B from about 1.2 million visitors. “If we can maintain the same growth rate for the second half of the decade that was achieved in the first half, we could be looking at a USD2B pa industry by 2010” noted Everitt. “If we can do that then Tourism could be the single biggest contributor to Pillar 1 of the Pacific Plan – economic growth. It will take a lot of hard work, commitment, cooperation, and investment in marketing by both the public and private sector to get there” “This level of sustainable economic contribution is an exciting prospect, but it also raises questions about its contribution to employment growth and poverty alleviation. Assessing these will be an important next step, as will be identifying issues and barriers to achieving the target.” (Source: south-pacific.travel update)

Pacific Business Search Tool

“Pacificbizonline” is an online database developed specifically to provide an ‘information gateaway’ to businesses and commercial contacts in the Pacific Islands. The database offers contact and information details of registered businesses, private sector and public sector organisations and others that work within the commercial arenas in their respective Pacific countries. To register or for more information visit their website www.pacificbizonline.com. "Pacificbizonline" is a joint project between the Pacific Cooperation Foundation and the Pacific Islands Trade & Investment Commission. (Source: south-pacific.travel update)

Cook Islands’ Aitutaki Island Amongst World’s Best

After spending one whole year clocking up over 26,800 miles of combined travel, and setting foot on over 1,000 beaches in all 6 continents, experts at British publication The Travel Magazine have named One Foot Island, Aitutaki, amongst the world’s best. “Tranquil One Foot Island, lined by giant banyan trees and frangipani, fulfils even the wildest of tropical island dreams,” the magazine says in its latest edition. The listing is a surprise boost for tourism here, especially with the launch of the new direct Air New Zealand flights from Los Angeles to Rarotonga in April. Nic Havers, co-author of the article and Deputy Features Editor of The Travel Magazine said “We went looking for beaches that had a refined quality. We wanted to include beaches not just with natural beauty, good sand and sea quality, but also eco-friendly beaches with a ‘just-this-minute-discovered’ feel.” The year-long research took on a global dimension with journalists visiting every type of conceivable beach from Latin America to the Caribbean to Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Other winning beaches include Pink Beach in Antigua, and Whitehaven beach in Australia. (Source: Cook Islands Herald 24/02/2007)