I attended a travel industry last Saturday put on my WESTA, the consortium my travel agency belongs to. It was a great day, with almost 40 vendors doing short presentations, a trade show, lunch, and drawings for cool prizes. I won a 4 night stay at the Hale Mahina Beach Resort on Maui! I love it when I win.
One of the cool things that WESTA does differently than most trade shows, instead of going around and picking up a bunch of materials at each booth and then having to sort through it all when you get home, each vendor puts what they think is most important for you to have in a box and you take home one box at the end of the day.
There were several suppliers there that I was not familiar with, and some that offer some really cool products. I can’t wait to work my way through my box. The first one I’m looking at offers fabulous vacation packages to the South Pacific –Fiji, Tahiti, Cook Islands, and Samoa. I started with them because I’m working with Honeymoon clients now that are looking for something a little different, but don’t really have a Tahiti budget. Sunspots International really knows the South Pacific and they have some fabulous specials right now – I’m hoping one of them will work with my clients wants and budget.
One of the resorts I’m looking at is on a small island just 3 minutes by boat fromFiji’s main island of Viti Levu. Imagine, the luxury of a private island with 24 hour access to explore all of the attractions offered on the more populated main island. Or maybe one of the resorts on Raratonga in the Cook Islands would work better. Hmmm….I need to do more reading.
For those who think these South Pacific islands offer only relaxation on the beach along with snorkeling and scuba diving, there is really a lot more to do. Of course, those things are probably the highlights for most people, but the local people are the true treasure of this region. Visiting the local villages and learning about the culture is a must! There are also lots of natural attractions that you can easily see from horseback, by bicycle, boat, maybe island bus, or even renting a car (remember to drive on the left!). And dining – can you say FRESH seafood! Mmmmmm….wish I was planning for myself.
Another thing I love about Sunspots International is that they only work with travel agents. So, if you see something on their site that interests you and you don’t already have a travel agent, e-mail me at beth@tropicaltales.com or call me at Anderson Travel at 253-853.8687 (make sure you tell them that you are looking for Beth – I’m not in the office all the time).
By the way, I’m not ignoring Australia and New Zealand. I know they are also very popular spots in the South Pacific, but I have another vendor that I use for them so I will talk about them when I get to them in my box.
Perfect Paradise Vacations 