Tonga Plant Rallies – Trade Famils Key In Promo Plans

A wholesaler famil in Tonga right now signals the start of a concerted effort to get the trade talking about the destination, say local suppliers and others.
The three-day famil is designed to show how much can be done from the main island – Tongatapu, including swimming with the whales.
Though initiated by Scenic Hotels, this first significant trade famil is a pan-Tonga effort with air support from Air New Zealand.
Katie Silcock, general manager of Scenic Hotel Tonga, says the goal of this famil and others to come is to get everyone talking about Tonga and recommending it. ‘That’s not happening at the moment. People in the trade don’t know what Tonga has to offer apart from the whales. The feedback from our guests is about how welcoming the (Tongan) people are. That really stands out. And the game fishing is
outstanding – and really accessible from Tongatapu.’
None of the wholesale group (two from Australia, four from New Zealand) on the famil this week had been to the destination before, but all see potential in it.
Auckland-based Dan Eastwood, of Infinity South Pacific, says he has been keen to get Tonga. ‘It does have a low profile but we’re keen to see that increase and so having a look  around will be helpful.’
Nicole Chitty, House of Travel, says Tonga can be a harder sell than other Pacific destinations. ‘It’s unknown compared to Fiji and Rarotonga. The challenge can be finding the right property to suit the client.’

The group arrived in Tonga Wednesday and went on a whirlwind version of Tui’s Tiki Tour, visiting old kings’ terrace tombs, Ha’amonga
(sometimes referred to as Tonga’s Stonehenge), and Captain Cook’s Landing. The night, hosted by Scenic Hotel, included a dinner and show at Oholei Beach Resort. Yesterday involved site inspections, including Tupuanaga Coffee and Ancient Tonga, as well as lunch at Fafa Island Resort and an evening at Tanoa Dateline Hotel. Today a highlight for the group is swimming with the whales, with Whale Swim & Dive. The night will be spent at Vakaloa Beach Resort.
Steve Shearer, director international sales and brand development with Scenic Hotel Group, says Tonga lacks the branding and imagery that other destinations have in the key New Zealand and Australian markets. ‘We’d like to see enthusiastic national tourist office (NTO) support from Tonga but in the meantime we see famils like this one as a positive step. We’ve got to start somewhere.’ Future famils will target retailers while there will also be more opportunities for product managers and others in the wholesale community.
A Window Into Traditional Tonga
Agents wishing they had more product to sell in Tonga will be happy to hear about an educational and cultural day time experience available close to Nukualofa town.
Ancient Tonga opened four years ago but is now gaining extra traction with local inbound operators. It was on the agenda
for a group of New Zealand and Australian wholesale agents visiting this week – and everyone in the group felt it was a worthwhile addition to Tonga’s offerings.
Run by Jessica Afeaki, but with a guiding hand from her mother Ofa Simiki, Ancient Tonga is typically a two-and-a
half-hour tour that involves watching traditional food being prepared (and tasting a bit of it), wandering the gardens and hearing about the plants and their nutritional and/or medicinal properties, learning about traditional clothing and arts and crafts, and tasting kava.
The hosts are fantastic fonts of local knowledge and the tour is done in an authentic way that marries the modern
and the traditional.
‘Sightseeing is just driving around looking at things,’ says Ofa Simiki. ‘We are giving visitors a window into our culture.’

(Source: TRAVELinc MEMO 11 August 2017 Issue 1030)