Boomerang Tours’ Cross Country South Pacific Extravaganza Wraps Up In YVR

Boomerang Tours’ South Pacific Extravaganza road show wrapped up at the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver Thursday night, after rolling across the country visiting most major Canadian cities over the past two weeks.

The evening kicked off with a trade show that connected travel agents with hotel partners, suppliers, and representatives from airlines and tourism boards in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa and the Cook Islands.

Followed by dinner presentations and round table sessions, the event immersed agents in the diverse travel and tourism options across the South Pacific.

Boomerang’s director of sales, Michael Mullin, said the company has the entire South Pacific covered, with product for every type of traveller, looking for experiences from island-hopping adventures to luxury long-stays to packaged family vacations.

The South Pacific ‘101’ is that the area encompasses not only the well-known lands downunder, but also Tahiti, or French Polynesia, Fiji, and the lesser known islands of Samoa and the Cooks.

“Our top programs selling at Boomerang are Tahiti- that’s the destination of choice for clients looking for something upmarket, discerning, different with a romance-focussed journey,” Mullin said.

Mullin said that Australia ranks on the top three destinations of choice for Canadians, and that neighboring New Zealand is growing rapidly as a travel destination- especially in the self-drive itinerary market.

According to Mullin, the Cook Islands are becoming better known as a long stay option, competing with the Hawaii market, and Samoa is gaining recognition as an emerging South Pacific hotspot, and he reminded agents that Boomerang carries the most product available in these regions.

A range of South Pacific booking incentives are currently available in the market, such as free stopover packages available with Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways, free air from Los Angeles to Papeete with Air Tahiti Nui, and a 'Cook Islands Cash' bonus through Cook Islands Travel, where clients recieve free $100 cash cards to spend at the restaurants and bars in the Cooks.

Mullin also said Boomerang has updated ‘Paradise South Pacific’ and Australia/New Zealand brochures available online, and announced that debuting in November, the company will be releasing an all- new two year travel magazine.

“It will be a travel-book concept rather than a brochure, with not as much pricing, so you’ll be able to go online and see more itineraries and more pricing specific to the season, and what the clients want, covering travel options, cities, cruises, and lots more web packages,” Mullin said.

“While our website is consumer- friendly, we embrace travel agents and don’t accept direct consumer bookings,” Mullin added.

For more information, go to boomerangtours.ca. 

Photo: Coral Perry, sales manager, Canada, Fiji Airways, Douglas Seifert, sales manager, Canada, Air New Zealand, Chris Allison, sales & market development manager, Air New Zealand, Alisi Lutu, tourism marketing officer, South Pacific Tourism Organization, Michael Mullin, director of sales, Boomerang Tours, Sarah Moreland, sales, Air Rarotonga, Julie Gilfillan, BDM, B.C, TravelBrands, John Petersen, GM, North America, Cook Islands Travel, Ruth Daly, director, North America, Tourism Fiji, Stephen Doherty, board director, Cook Islands Travel, Amanda Ladd, sales & marketing, Samoa Tourism Authority & Tekura Kelley, trade & promotions coordinator, Tahiti Tourisme.