Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia has appointed tourism trade and destination marketing specialist Ben Urquhart as Senior North Pacific Tourism Adviser.
The new role focuses on market readiness, working directly with individual operators to support tourism operators from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru.
Mr Urquhart (left) will help make the destinations more accessible and able to be packaged, priced and ready to sell through Australian wholesale, retail and specialist channels, or promoted more broadly for intrepid travellers.
The aim is to provide information and support to encourage travellers to take these opportunities to visit the North Pacific.
“The P4A program is delighted to take another step in supporting tourism in the Pacific,” said James Ramsay, Executive Director, the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation (P4A) program.
“Tourism is more than just an economic driver for the region; along with aviation, it brings members of the Pacific family closer together.
“This initiative aims to boost tourist infrastructure and route viability, but it’s also about increasing opportunities for visitors to experience the rich cultural and natural heritage of the North Pacific.”
The North Pacific is home to some of the best diving, fishing, surfing and World War Two wreck heritage anywhere in the world – all to the backdrop of rich cultural and natural environments.
At present very little of it is packaged in a way the Australian trade can easily sell.
The project will be delivered in partnership with the five national tourism offices, who lead destination marketing for their countries, working with airlines, individual operators and the Australian travel trade to build booking pathways.
Operator-level work will build on PTI Australia’s longstanding Digital Tourism Program and Treasures of the South Pacific programmes.
Kiribati, courtesy David Kirkland
The project seeks to support air services in the North Pacific region, including the emerging North Pacific Connector and the Palau-Paradise Express, with itineraries designed around routes and booking windows that exist.
Mr Urquhart brings 14 years of experience across the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. He previously led the Vanuatu Tourism Office in the Australian market and has recently delivered a range of Austrade-funded programmes for Tourism Central Australia.
The North Pacific Tourism Packaging and Market Access Programme is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation (P4A) program.
Australian wholesalers, retail groups, niche specialists or agents interested in North Pacific product can register interest via emailing Ben at [email protected].
Main image: Nauru, courtesy David Kirkland
