The Tahiti Specialist Conference was back in person after a three-year hiatus at LAX and TravelPulse was there. The theme of this three-day event revolved around the challenges surrounding post-pandemic sales and the topic of the hour, how to reach the generations who will be "the future customers" of agents: the Xs and the Zs? But, of course, the main purpose of the conference was to keep agents up to date on destination news and developments.
Here is a summary of what we learned.
The number of visitors in 2022 is substantially the same as in 2019, with a variation of approximately -21% versus 2019. France and the United States are the two main markets for Tahiti in 2022 considering that Australia and the New Zealand reopened their borders later (in the spring).
The hotel occupancy rate for February to June 2022 is the highest ever for the month of June on the island, showing an occupancy rate of 75% and the average rate per night is the highest ever seen in destination. The destination is therefore doing well, "people have this need and this desire to travel after the pandemic, and Tahiti is on several "travel bucket lists". »
New hotels plan to open by 2023, for a total of 249 new rooms.
Latest hotel news: opening of the Hilton Tahiti and expansion of the Bora Pearl
In 2023: 4 new small hotels will open in Tahiti, Moorea & Marquesas
In 2024: the Sofitel Tahiti and Sofitel Bora Bora will open
A new cruise terminal will be inaugurated in 2023/24 in Tahiti and the number of cruise passengers expected at that time: 388,598
Air France flies 5 times a day from LAX, Air Tahiti Nui up to 12 times a week from LAX, United has maintained flights from SFO, and a new SEA route by Air Tahiti Nui from October will offer two flights a week.
"We're hoping for a flight from Canada one day, but for now, the brand new connection in Seattle is the closest connection for our Canadian travellers."
Tahiti Specialist Conference 2022 Team (Tahiti Specialist Conference 2022 Team)A new marketing campaign
"The next few years will be very crucial for Tahiti, and in order to be ready, the destination plans to launch a new marketing campaign to recover markets lost during the pandemic and develop new ones, including Canada. The Conference is therefore timely, explains Ms. Morrison »
The tourist office is therefore planning a new marketing campaign to develop tourism in the destination, between 2022-2027 "inclusion and sustainability" whose main objectives are:
- Recover markets lost since the pandemic and continue to focus efforts on France and North America
- Emphasis on "slow tourism" (10 days on average)
- Bring more visitors to Tahiti and ensure they visit more islands (objective 3)
"We've found that Canadians are staying longer at the destination and visiting more islands, they're more adventurous, more open to trying things off the beaten path," said Noel Morrison, director of communications for the destination. For example, Americans go 70% to Tahiti and Bora Bora, and Canadians too, but they will visit the smaller islands: Fakarava, Rangiora, Huahine…. It is therefore definitely a market that we want to develop in 2023, Canadians have the time to explore Tahiti and they are perfect travelers for the destination."
Finally, the destination invited its specialist agents to, like them, update their website, be visible on social media, sell themselves better in order, possibly, to better sell the destination.
Because, as Noel Morrison told us during our 1:1 interview , "Tahiti is a complex destination that must be sold by people who know it well." But still, the agent's marketing must be as strong as that of the destination he is selling. It is therefore in this perspective that the proposed conferences offered tips for better selling Tahiti, yes, but also better selling yourself as a travel agent.
Read also: How to sell better after the pandemic, according to Tahiti
