PNG trade site launched to educate agents
Australian and New Zealand travel agents can gain confidence in selling Papua New Guinea as a destination thanks to the new trade micro-site and online training.
Launched today by the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA), the trade website www.pngspecialists.com.au has been designed specifically to educate and inform agents about the destination.
Agents are encouraged to login and register on the site, which features not only a list of PNG tour operators, news and events and a toolkit featuring downloadable brochures but also online training modules.
Powered by “Your Workshops”, the training will help agents become familiar with the key PNG selling points and allow them to become a PNG Wantok specialist. Participants who complete the training will have the chance to win a place on a famil trip to Tufi Resort in the Oro province, a destination known for its diving, breath-taking fjord and fascinating culture.
Once completed, agents can also stay current with targeted updates about PNG including information about famils, trade events and expos with an easy registration function.
PNG TPA’s Australian and New Zealand representative, Stuart Thompson, told Travel Today that the biggest challenge for agents is getting to know the variety of amazing experiences available in PNG and which operators to book these through.
To combat this, the new trade website was designed as a useful tool to build the confidence of travel agents who previously may have grappled with selling travel to PNG due to a lack of information and understanding.
“The new PNG trade website addresses this by listing specialist PNG operators in the ‘Tour Operators’ directory under the ‘Toolkit’ tab. Agents are able to filter operators by the experiences they offer to find the best fit option for their clients.”
PNG Tourism advises to always book clients’ travel through a PNG Wantok partner.
Describing the destination as “niche with an emerging cruise industry”, Thompson added the site gives agents access to the top selling points, so when the right sort of client is seeking their next great adventure, PNG is front of mind.
“The introduction of the larger cruise ships in October 2013 means that Papua New Guinea is now a destination that every traveller can enjoy, especially those on a budget. These new PNG cruise itineraries have proven extremely popular because of the combination of raw and authentic cultural experiences and the pristine untouched islands and coastlines visitors get to explore,” Thompson added.
For non-cruise visitors, Thompson describes Papua New Guinea as “an adventurer’s wonderland, a place reserved for travellers rather than tourists.”
“With world class trekking, diving, fishing, surfing, and bird watching PNG offers experiences money can’t buy intertwined with rich cultural interactions that will provide the ‘WOW’ factor at your next dinner party.”
Additionally, next year will see the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC’s celebrated, and PNG plays host to a wealth of Australian military history from both WWI and WW2. The destination will provide a fantastic alternative to those who miss out on travelling to Gallipoli.
For the chance to go into the draw to win a place on a famil, to experience Papua New Guinea first-hand, agents must complete the training modules by 10 January 2015.
Visit the new Papua New Guinea trade website at www.pngspecialists.com.au.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
agent training agents destination papua new guineaLatest News
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