Canberra ploy
p. 31 · Read in the full issue
Vanuatu: A disastrous Canberra ploy
Vanuatu lost an estimated $lOO,OOO in January when an attempt to dictate terms to the cruise ship “Canberra” blew up in local faces. The trouble started when the people of Ifira Island, in the harbor across from Vila town, decided the world would be a better place if cruise ship passengers could be
landed at the government wharf, run through a bazaar of handicraft and other stalls and then be delivered to a fleet of waiting taxis for their trip into town. The stalls, and many of the taxis, would, of course, be operated by the good burghers of Ifira who, incidentally, also claim ownership to all the land on which Vila town sits. Can-
berra, being too big to come alongside the wharf, always anchors out in Fort-Vila harbor and sends her day-trippers ashore in motor launches, using Burns Philp’s slipway and dock.
Bums Philp are the ship’s agents in Vila and, besides, their dock is virtually town centre and from there tourists don’t need taxis to get around Port Vila’s excellent duty free shops and restaurants. They can stroll.
Keen to help local enterprise, the Vanuatu Government con veyed their ’’decision” on the handling of tourists to the Can berra’s captain. He was less than impressed and, when the government persisted, and also insisted, sailed his ship off into the sunset, threatening never to darken Vanuatu’s door again.
The boycott was a disaster for the town. Canberra’s affluent passengers generally spend about $lOO,OOO on food, day-trips, and souvenir and duty-free shopping in Port Vila which is, in fact, one of the better such stops in the Pacific.
One jewellery shop alone says its usual turnover on ship days exceeds $lO,OOO. Negotiations began immediately with Burns Philp to sort things out, while community leaders set about convincing Ifira islanders of the error of their ideas. Last heard, BPs had managed to convince P & O that their passengers would not in future suffer any kind of handicraft ”stick-up” in Port-Vila and arrangements were fixed for the next 12 months cruise schedules... with Port-Vila prominently on the list.
Vanuatu's Minister for Civil Aviation and Transport Albert Sandy (right) is shown the computer system used in the Air Vanuatu Sydney office by Barry Sheely. Looking on are Mrs Sandy (left) and Air vanuatu's Advertising and Promotions Manager Kiera Lockyer. Mr Sandy was in Sydney to meet Ansett executives to discuss future expansion of Air Vanuatu. On his return to Port-Vila Mr Sandy announced that Ansett, in con junction with Air Vanuatu, would offer a Tuesday service out of Sydney from April 3. This would give Sydney its fifth non-stop service to Port-Vila. The other flights are on Saturday (two) and Sunday (two.)