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Making a strong impression on key US-based travel media and creating further strong inroads into this key visitor source market, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau led by CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto has hosted its first-ever media event in San Francisco.
Mr Tuamoto, accompanied by SIVB Senior Marketing Officer, Ellison Kyere, welcomed more than 30 high profile media from Northern California representing some of the most influential travel publications in the country.
The event was also attended by several senior Solomon Islands and US travel personnel including SIDE Dive Munda Operations Director, Belinda Botha and Solomon Islands Battlefields tour experts, Valor Tours President, Vicky Reynolds Middagh and Tour Director, John Shively.
Ms Botha took the opportunity to impress upon the media the many land-based and liveaboard options the Solomon Islands offers US divers.
Mr Shively gave a 30-minute presentation on the Solomon Islands with an emphasis on the company’s Battlefield Tours and other WWII-related programs.
CEO Tuamoto took the opportunity to underline the important role North American tourism plays for the Solomon Islands, sharing information on the many culturally rich and sporting annual events US visitors to the ‘Hapi Isles’ can enjoy.
He also drew reference to a steady increase in US visitor arrivals, particularly this year because of the 75th commemoration of the Battle of Guadalcanal in August and the destination’s second annual Dive Festival taking place last month in the Western Province.
The San Francisco media event coincided with SIVB attendance at the world’s largest dive-related event, DEMA 2017 in Orlando, Florida where the national tourist office met with more than 30 international dive journalists.
The SIVB visit was seen as very timely given the latest visitor arrival figures for September 2017 released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office last week showing US numbers have improved again, increasing year on year by 9.11 per cent from 1152 in September 2016 to 1257 this year.
-ENDS-
(Source: Prepared on behalf of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau by SIVB US PR Consultant Susan Bejeckian of SA/SB PublicRelations 28 November 2017)
Email sbejeckian@gmail.com
