After a four year hiatus, the South Pacific Tourism Exchange (SPTE) will return in 2023.

SPTE 2023 will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 12-13 May, taking into consideration the Australian Tourism Exchange (30 April-5 May 2023, Gold Coast) and Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand TRENZ  (9-11 May, 2023, Christchurch). SPTE will offer international travel buyers the convenience of familiarising with a wide selection of suppliers and products from the Pacific under one roof.

With Pacific nations at widely differing stages of re-opening for tourism, the region’s destinations are being urged to focus on a change of messaging for the long-term future of the sector.

Chris Cocker, chief executive officer of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) gave an update to interested parties in New Zealand yesterday. The hybrid event was held in conjunction with the New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade Aid Programme and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, with about 20 attendees at the live presentation in the MFAT Auckland office, joined by an audience on Zoom.

Moves are afoot to have four UNESCO Geoparks established in the Pacific, a development expected to boost tourism in a sustainable way while focusing on not only geology but also culture.

It is possible that these and others may form a ‘Geopark trail’ around the Pacific.

At a South Pacific Tourism Office (supported by the South Pacific Community, SPC) webinar this week, it was noted that a number of steps needed to be taken at all sites (some more than others) before a submission could be made to UNESCO.

Access to information will be more important than ever for travellers when they start moving again and the industry as a whole needs to work to ensure the consumer can move with confidence, says James Marshall, vice-president global air account management with Expedia.

Speaking at CAPA Live, Marshall was responding to a question put by moderator Trent Banfield, international operations and aviation manager at Tourism Australia. Banfield noted that travellers might be more confident being able to call someone to help them get through any difficult situation.

Clients funds are going to be a real issue in the future, as are cancellation policies and the need to place liability where it belongs if suppliers insist on pre-payment, the audience at a South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) webinar heard last week.

Rick Felderhof, managing director of Our World, pointed out that customers will be more concerned than ever about where their money is being held.

The South Pacific will be out in force for two days in Christchurch next year.