Embracing this as an opportunity to meet this void as a marketing strategy for Palau’s promotion, PVA Japan office in partnership with Continental Airlines Japan and numerous local vendors in Palau laid resources together and strongly took initiatives to market June as an attractive month for tourists. Marketing approaches included the recent success of the Palau ‘road show’ presentation that took participants on a tour to 5 major cities within Japan that are currently operating direct Continental flights to and from Guam. Additionally, local vendors in Palau worked with selling travel agencies in Japan by contributions of discounted tours, and other incentives to assist in boosting packages to be sold for this slow month.
An added successful approach accomplished by travel agents, was a small competition between HIS (Highest International Standard) Travel Agency, the largest and fastest growing travel agency in Japan, between their Tokyo and Nagoya city offices for a mastery claim at the most packages sold to Palau in line with the June campaign. Winners of this agent competition won sponsored trips to Palau from Continental Airlines, PVA and many local sponsorships.
Ultimately, as a result for this vigorous June campaign pilot run, PVA statistical report show a 40% increase in June arrivals compared to last years, putting the Japan market on the thousand mark for arrivals this year.
PVA Japan representative Mr. Tsuyoshi Shibamura reports the success of this very first campaign marketing strategy and is quite pleased of the outcome and further comments that “if we hang on to the continual growth for Japan Market, I’m confident that we will bring or achieve 30,000 PAX annual visit from Japan.”
PVA Managing Director Mr. De Leon extends his appreciation to all the marketing efforts from Continental Airlines, PVA Japan Office and the local vendors who all availed their time and resources into working together to achieve the success of Palau’s first ever June campaign. “This is a memorial achievement for everyone; it has raised the benchmark for June arrivals like none before. This slight ripple affect for the Republic as well as for all agencies involved will eventually generate into much bigger swells as we continue to campaign for the month of June with the same determination.”
