PHOTO: Laucala Island in Fiji.
The South Pacific has been misunderstood by outsiders since Balboa first stood on the Isthmus of Panama on a beach that happened to face south and looking out as the first European to see the Pacific, named it all, the "South Seas," despite the fact that much of these South Seas occupied latitudes far north of his native Spain. Modern attitudes about the region are still rooted in centuries old colonial biases.
To outsiders they are in turn islands of love and lust, islands of paradise where every tree bough hangs heavy with fruit and cannibal islands sacrificing their rare virgins to volcano gods. We can probably trace all of these stereotypes back to wharf side taverns in Europe where sailors told their yarns.
These stories, no matter how idyllic, are an entrapment for the people in those far off paradises as they try to present themselves on their own terms as travel destinations. When it comes to destination marketing, the Caribbean has been struggling with this problem for longer than anyone else.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization sets out year after year selling a positive and somewhat generic image of the entire region to newcomers, and then works on the more delicate process of island diversification. It's a paradox. Yes, they're all beautiful, relaxing, exciting, idyllic, and beachy but they're not all the same. They're all different.
The South Pacific Tourism Organization (www.spto.org) faces a dilemma much like the CTO's but with much less funding. Researcher Dr. Stephen Pratt put it well when he framed the obstacles confronting South Pacific destinations. "The colonizers are responsible for the collective representation of 'Other.'"
This process ignores cultural, environmental, and geographical diversity and produces "a singular concept of what a tropical South Pacific island should look like." Colonial attitudes are perpetually reinforced in art, films, literature, music and advertising.
Swaying palms, endless beaches, voluptuous women, muscular men, and all of them apparently willing, because they are living in a state of nature-based simplicity or as Rousseau put it, "savage innocence." Most of us who love the region were guilty of these silly romantic and condescending perceptions. My first fascination with the region came in watching Brando and Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty. That led me to the Bounty Trilogy, which I read at 14 years of age after completing all of the James Bond novels.
Like the Caribbean, island destinations in the South Pacific have learned that to market successfully in places like the U.S. they have to promote the entire region using certain colonial images of a generic paradise with swaying palms even as they struggle to distinguish themselves from other destinations in the region. The two tasks can be conflicting. How can these destination marketing organizations (DMO) differentiate individual destinations in the region?
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) sponsored a study by Dr. Pratt of the South Pacific's top source market, Australia. Pratt surveyed potential travelers living in Sydney and Melbourne. While a survey of Australians doesn't represent the perceptions of U.S. travelers, it's a good measure of American attitudes. If anything, Australians are far more knowledgeable of the Pacific than we are.
Other relevant destinations that were not part of the study include American Samoa, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, the islands of Tahiti, Tonga as well as Guam, Palau and other Micronesian destinations.
The Australian survey focused on those who had been on an international holiday within the past 12 months or were planning one in the next 12. The questions probed the brand attributes of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. The questionnaire asked the respondents to rate them individually on such attributes as relaxation, friendliness and hospitality, local culture, suitability for couples, romantic atmosphere, access, adventure quotient, family suitability, value for money, range of accommodation, travel package pricing, shopping and the regularity of advertisement.
Evenly divided on gender lines, the respondents' average age was 39, more than half had an undergraduate degree or higher and the average household income was higher than the metropolitan average. Just over half of the respondents had previously visited a South-Pacific destination, and just under half planned to in the future. The respondents found the destinations to be similar, "broadly substitutable for each other." Pratt concluded that the DMOs of these destinations "need to strike a balance between promoting the region as a homogeneous whole and highlighting the distinct attractions of particular destinations."
PHOTO: South Pacific island destinations, like Samoa, are known for their hospitality.
The need to distinguish differences is not as urgent for the more established destinations, but for smaller emerging destinations it's essential. Pratt's survey found that Fiji ranked highest on many of attributes especially access, friendliness and hospitality and value. Samoa was perceived as an undiscovered adventure destination and the Cooks as romantic. According to Pratt all four destinations are "synonymous with friendly people, good climate, beautiful scenery, and a range of water activities." In other words, they are very attractive but indistinguishable and suffer from "a high degree of substitutability."
Fiji is way ahead of the other destinations in the survey. It's put in the work over the years to brand itself as a destination for adventure travelers (especially divers), families and honeymooners. Tourism Fiji's former Chief Executive Rick Hamilton, who recently left the DMO, took the marketing in a new direction under a refreshed branding that positioned Fiji as a place where "happiness finds you."
He also launched a new website as well as a social media/PR and advertising campaign. Fiji consistently ranks among the lowest priced countries especially when compared to some of the big names in Pacific island tourism. Fijian hotels come at many price points and are just as diverse in style.
As it moves forward, Tourism Fiji is focused on improving the country's reputation for quality, especially when it comes to luxury activities such as golf and dining. Fijian food has never ranked high, but the Fijians are honing their cuisine to change the perception. Fiji, which has traditionally marketed Fijian culture as exclusively in the domain of the original Melanesian Fijians, will now embrace some of the culinary diversity brought to the islands by Indian, Chinese and Polynesian immigrants.
In March, Samoa showed that it wants to preserve its distinction of being pristine by becoming first South Pacific destination to complete the Global Sustainable Tourism Council's (GSTC) Early Adopter Program and the second destination in the world to do so at the national level. The Independent State of Samoa is made up of 10 Polynesian islands. Samoa showcases breathtaking coastlines, fine beaches, coral reefs, marine wildlife and rainforest covered volcanic peaks. Samoans are known for their traditional "Fa'a Samoa" way of life which values family and an authentic communal lifestyle.
The Samoa Tourism Authority worked closely with GSTC, providing guidance and resources. "Sustainable tourism is the only form of tourism that ensures we are balancing all that is wonderful in our lives, from our pristine environs and our vibrant Samoan culture, to visitor satisfaction that exceeds expectations.
Samoa has long supported these objectives and the monitoring and evaluation of indicators. These efforts help know where we are doing well, and alert us to areas of concern that we must immediately address," said Sonja Hunter, CEO, Samoa Tourism Authority.
The Cook Islands reemphasized its reputation for sensual romance earlier this year when it appeared as a setting in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue. John Petersen, General Manager North America for Cook Islands tourism noted the magazine has more than 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million people each week.
The 50th Anniversary edition cover was shot at Aitutaki Lagoon. Air New Zealand, the leading airline to the Cook Islands, also chose the swim suit theme and Aitutaki to shoot its newest in-flight safety video, "Safety in Paradise." The safety video combines the Cooks with some of the biggest names in modelling including Christie Brinkley, Chrissy Teigen, Ariel Meredith, Hannah Davis and Jessica Gomes.
"The Cook Islands have several type of accommodation ranging from the basic backpacker style of bunking to a more sophisticated and elegant resorts," said Mario Scozia, executive director of A&A South Pacific Tours. The resorts are small in size but provide a high level for service however conservative in style. It is a more relaxed atmosphere destination than anywhere else in the South Pacific and with its cultural attraction paired with sand and beach it can make a perfect honeymoon or leisure destination."
Vanuatu, which has not launched a full-fledged tourism offensive, remains a real frontier for the most adventurous travelers. The 83-island nation was known as the New Hebrides before they gained independence in 1980. Both Britain and France claimed it as a colony and vestiges of both cultures remain. The islands were also major battle grounds in WWII. Knowing that the country needs highly motivated sales representation abroad, the Vanuatu Tourism Office launched www.vanuatuspecialists.com.au, mostly to educate Australian travel agents.
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