South Pacific

Air New Zealand focuses on the South Pacific

With most international carriers reducing services to the South Pacific, one long-haul airline stands out as an enthusiastic promoter of the region in the international markets.

Air New Zealand continues to expand services and emphasises South Pacific tourism development as a key strategic focus, underscoring the carrier’s confi dence in the region’s tourism potential and its long-term commitment to developing this important industry.

Ever since it pioneered the Auckland, Suva, Apia, Aitutaki and Papeete “Coral Route” with its flying boats in the 19505, Air New Zealand has worked closely with national airlines and tourism authorities throughout the South Pacific to develop the region’s visitor potential.

Today, the airline is the major provider

of international visitors to a region where tourism is now the number one economic contributor in almost every country.

Air New Zealand’s approach to tourism development in the region continues to be driven by a spirit of partnership. Recent code-share agreements with Royal Tongan Airlines and Polynesian Airlines are exam ples of this partnership.

Beginning of this month, Royal Tonga started offering seats on Air New Zealand’s weekly return service from Tonga to Honolulu, a move welcomed by both air lines.

At the same time, Air New Zealand will commence operations with Western Samoa’s Polynesian Airlines to provide seats on direct return flights between Apia and Honolulu, enhancing Polynesian’s range of services and further boosting

tourism opportunities for Western Samoa.

Air New Zealand also has code-share arrangements with Air Pacific on two ser vices into Fiji from New Zealand as part of efforts to develop visitor traffic to the region’s hub at Nadi. Technical and engi neering co-operation between the two car riers is embodied in Air Pacific’s three-year lease of an Air New Zealand 747, which includes training support.

The airlines will once again be at the forefront of tourism promotion for the region in 1996, spearheading South Pacific promotion in North America through a grouping of airlines and South Pacific national tourism organisations in Los Angeles.

Air New Zealand will sponsor South Pacific tourism roadshows in Germany and the United Kingdom and is working with

Air New Zealand - heralding the Pacific at its destinations.

Cook Island tourism operators on a similar promotion within Europe.

Regional manager Pacific Islands Ric Macgillicuddy says, Air New Zealand has a clear strategic focus on developing inbound tourism to the region - bringing benefits to all national carriers and tourism operators.

The airline’s LA hub allows visitors from Europe and North America a choice of South Pacific destinations, with services via Honolulu to Tonga, Fiji, Rarotonga and Apia and direct flights to Tahiti.

Macgillicuddy said that more recently, these long haul services have been com plemented by a push to develop Asian mar kets to connect with services of other Pacific Island carriers to explore the region.

Air New Zealand is working closely with airlines like Royal Tongan to develop better schedule co-ordination to allow traffic into Nadi to link Vava’u, which was appealing to the North American and European dive and yacht charter market.

Macgillicuddy said that while some air lines had adopted a somewhat haphazard approach to the South Pacific, Air New Zealand was committed to developing the region’s tourism potential.

“With the growth in the Asia Pacific trav el market in particular, there are enormous opportunities for Pacific Island nations,” he said.

The commitment of a major internation al carrier like Air New Zealand was impor tant to major tourism operators considering investment in the region.

He said there was considerable interest in the region from a number of major hotel chains and related investors.

“It is important that airlines, national tourism offices and other operators work together to ensure a consistent and quality product that delivers a total South Pacific experience,” Macgillicuddy said.

The airline’s commitment to South Pacific tourism is reflected in this year’s

appointment of Michael Jones as Inbound Tourism Development manager for the region.

Jones, who holds a Masters degree with tourism focus, will work to improve links between visitor origin markets and tourism operators in the region to improve the over all quality of the tourism product.

Air New Zealand Captures New

Clutch Of British Travel Awards

Air New Zealand has recently scooped three top British travel awards in less than a fortnight.

Leading the field at the British Chartered Institute of Marketing annual awards, the airline walked off with acco lades for the Best Consumer Travel Promotion and Best Travel Brochure.

Recognising creativity, innovation and strategic travel marketing in one of the most competitive markets in the world, the awards are decided by a panel of six cre ative directors from top UK advertising agencies.

The consumer promotion award fol lowed Air New Zealand’s 1995 drive to gen erate low-season tourism to New Zealand - the “Take a Peak” campaign - which encouraged holiday makers to visit New Zealand outside of the traditional summer months.

It offered travellers two free domestic flights and half-price motor homes or rental cars to encourage them to explore New Zealand, pushing tourism benefits beyond the country’s main cities and resorts.

The second award, for the Best Travel Brochure, went to the airline’s stylish Into the Blue brochure which introduces poten tial travellers to Air New Zealand, its com pany philosophy, service standards and promotes its Coral Route destinations en route to New Zealand and Australia.

Air New Zealand’s Regional General Manager European Bruce Leonard said the awards recognised the airline’s achieve

merits as the leading marketer of New Zealand and the South West Pacific inter nationally.

“We’re delighted the quality of our mar keting efforts in the UK has been recog nised by such discerning judges, particular ly as the categories we entered were among the most closely contested and it’s the first time we’ve participated in these awards,” he added.

Organised by the Institute’s Travel Industry Group, the accolades are coveted by marketers from travel organisations throughout the UK and Europe.

Now in their 23rd year, the marketing awards were contested by blue-chip com panies as diverse as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Hertz, Walt Disney Corporation, Mauritius Tourism, British Midland, Qantas, Birmingham International Airport, the Channel Tunnel holiday company and a host of British tour operators.

In addition to marketing accolades, Air New Zealand has also performed well in one of the newest travel honours in the UK, winning the inaugural Best Pan Pacific Business Airline award.

The Business Travel World Awards, run by the magazine of the same name, recog nises excellence amongst airlines, hotels and transport organisations in meeting the expectations and needs of the business traveller.

The 40 categories were voted on by cor porate travel managers, business travel organisers and travel agents with responsi bility for company travel budgets through out the UK.

The business travel market from the UK is valued at an estimated £25 billion per year. Business Travel World is the only magazine in the UK to focus on the corpo rate travel market and is aimed at travel organisers handling large accounts for national and multi-national companies. ■

Air New Zealand intents to promote the Pacific as widely as possible as far as possible. Sheraton Fiji.