Pacific Report

THE VANUATU Government has launched a SALS million tour ism marketing push aimed at Australian holiday-makers. The cam paign presents tne theme “Vanuatu the untouched paradise” in newspap ers and magazines and with a televi

sion campaign featuring the John Far

nham hit “Touch of Paradise”.

Vanuatu’s latest Minister for Tourism,

Edward Natapei, supported the push

with appearances at travel industry functions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The decision by Ansett to cease flights to Vanuatu in February 1985 marked the beginning of the decline in tourism that hit rock-bottom after Cyclone Uma in 1987, the May 1988 riot and the shooting of an Australian tourist later that year. Then president Ati George Sokomanu’s failed Decem ber attempt to set up an interim gov ernment further discouraged intend ing tourists.

The campaign represents a first attempt at co-operative and cohesive marketing. Sources within the industry say the negative publicity of these events has never been counter balanced by a united and concerted effort by the Government, the private sector, tourist operators and tne air lines.

Tourism was stumbling along dur ing the 1970 s but the Santo rebellion and ensuing publicity was a formid able deterrent. Ansett began direct flights in 1981 but pulled out after the Government refused to drop a 10 per cent sales levy. The Ansett link pro vided tourists and an international marketing operation, both lost in the sales tax row.

Media coverage of events in Vanuatu is generally seen by ni- Vanuatu and local operators as the primary cause of the decline in tour ism. One hotel owner blames the Au stralian media generally and one radio

journalist in particular. But opinions

vary considerately. Port Vila tour oper ator Frank King, 12 years in the busi ness, says last year’s media coverage had an obvious negative effect. “But it happens to be a convenient fall-guy for the marketing problems. It’s con venient to be able to blame something on somebody from another country.

Others say the media coverage was largely the Government’s fault. Key Government figures refused to give media comment fearing public pro nouncements would dignify Barak

Sope. Journalists, under pressure

from editors, delivered unbalanced

stories because the Government had declined the opportunity to balance them.

The current marketing push is the result of a recent series of meetings of various industry operators in a “Tour ist Committee” that includes the Minister for Tourism, airline and civil aviation personnel as well as hotel and public works representatives.

The Vanua’aku Pati policy at inde pendence was that tourism should continue because the infrastructure was already in place and stopping it would cause more social disruption

than continuing. Tourist development

was to be kept in proportion with growth in other sectors of the eco nomy to prevent an over-dependence on tourism. This policy is now being questioned as the general economy shrinks and pressure increases for more tourist development.

A major upgrading of Vanuatu’s Bauerfield Airport is planned for the mid 19905, with Australian and Japanese investors supporting the pro ject. A new international terminal is planned, along with a 600 metre ex tension to the runway and renovation of the existing domestic terminal. The

airport project does not necessarily in

dicate an intention to build more re sorts. Rather it will allow airlines to land bigger aircraft, making services to Vanuatu a more profitable proposi tion.

More planes will not mean more tourists. That is very much “cargo cult” thinking, says Frank King. “The airport is not going to improve tour ism by itself. You have to improve tourism first so that you can use an

enlarged airport.”

But one Fort Vila tourist operator, who did not wish to be named, said tourism in Vanuatu had stalled be

cause of “political appointments being

put in charge of tourism”.

□ More Quality Needed

PNG LABOUR and Employment Minister Peter Garong has called on his country’s manufacturers to place more emphasis on quality. The Minis ter made the call while opening the new K 2 million Associated Mills Ltd flour mill extension at Lae. This will process Australian wheat for PNG consumption. Mr Garong said that while the Government wants increased food processing and manufacture,

companies producing goods must en

sure they maintain the highest stan dards of quality control.

□ Gloom For Cocoa

WESTPAC Banking Corporation’s

latest tropical products survey says the likely collapse of the cocoa act spells gloom for prices over the next two

years. Big production increases during

the 1980 s have been caused by expan sion in planting and greater use of hybrid varieties in Cote d’lvoire, Bra zil and Malaysia. Ten years ago, Malaysia grew less cocoa than PNG but it has increased its output twenty fold to become the world’s fourth

largest producer.

Because cocoa trees take seven to ten years to reach full production, cocoa output is likely to continue ris ing in the short term, said the West pac report. A major crop failure was

the only hope for price recovery.

The current cocoa pact expires in September 1990, having operated as a buffer stock scheme. This buffer stock had risen dramatically in the last few years, almost doubling in 1987-88 be cause of the high levels of production.

At the same time producer nations failed to pay their share of the levies necessary to operate the scheme.

Westpac reports that members cannot agree on a new intervention price, meaning that a scheme to expand the buffer stock by 120,000 tonnes has been blocked.

□ Nauru Seeks Pilots

AIR NAURU has reportedly offered New Zealand pilots as much as SNZBO,OOO in an attempt to get the airline into the skies again. Most of Air Nauru’s experienced captains and first officers left the airline after last

year’s dispute over safety standards.

The airline has been grounded since New Zealand and Australia civil avia tion authorities withdrew airworthi ness certification.

□ Fui To Join Apcc

THE FIJIAN Government has de cided to join the Jakarta-based Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC). The organisation was estab lished to promote and co-ordinate coconut industry activities and now represents about 90 per cent of world producers. Current APCC projects in clude replacement of senile coconut palms in small holdings, copra stabi lisation schemes.