South Pacific Tourism Organisation Offers Travel Agents Chance to Win 8-Night Holiday

A South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) incentive offering travel agents the opportunity to win an eight-night South Pacific holiday has been extended until 31 August 2014.

Launched last June, the SPTO incentive is part of an ongoing accreditation program to encourage agents to become specialists in marketing the region as a tourism destination.

The main thrust of the program is to provide agents with the opportunity to develop and enhance their knowledge of the various tourism products and services now available throughout the South Pacific and sell the region with confidence.

To qualify for a chance to win the prize, all agents have to do is register to become an accredited SPTO specialist which is easily achievable simply by undertaking a series of online training modules and an electronically assessed examination. However they must undergo the process before the 31 August cut off date.

Once certified South Pacific Specialists will have access to the following:

- Up to date training on 14 desirable destinations of the South Pacific

- Priority invitations to any SPTO educational programs

- Inclusion in SPTO agents incentive programs

- Exclusive access to the online SPTO ‘South Pacific Specialist Tool Kit’

- Special invitations to any SPTO training workshops in their areas

- Quarterly updates on special offers and travel news

- Discounted accommodation rates at SPTO member resorts and lodges

- Increased business opportunity

In addition all certified SPTO specialists go in to a draw to win the South Pacific holiday with the prize awarded to the specialist booking the highest number of South Pacific room nights over a given period of time.

“We are aware of the competition from close neighbours in the East and South but we also have our traditional markets as well as newly emerging markets such as China where the demand for a variety of South Pacific products is rising,” he said. “Programs like the South Pacific Specialists help travel agents become experts in marketing the product as they go through a thorough review of what our region has to offer potential tourists in Canada, the US, the UK and Europe as well as our traditional source markets,” said SPTO chief executive, Ilisoni Vuidreketi. “Tourism is important for the region and in some nations it has become the number one source of foreign exchange which flows on to other support industries and sectors including health, education and infrastructure.”

The South Pacific Specialist program is being funded by the European Union under the SPTO’s Pacific Regional Tourism Building Capacity Programme.

To date close on 290 agents have become accredited South Pacific Specialists.