DoSM meets with Japanese Partners

While in Japan this week, Director of Sales and Marketing Karla Eggelton will be meeting with 8 wholesale partners and 2 airlines to discuss the Japanese market and looking at future opportunities.

DoSM Karla Eggelton (left) and Cook Islands Tourism Representative Kei Mori  (right) with Club Tourism International Oceania team members Ikumi Kohara (second from right)  and Shochi Ito  (second from left) who developed the Cook Islands programme and lead their first Japanese group to the Cook Islands last month.    

Japan has seen a 64% increase in visitor arrivals to the Cook Islands YOY, albeit off small numbers the Japanese traveller are seeking interactive cultural experiences, appreciative of natural beauty and landscape where they feel safe and the hosts are friendly.

Cook Islands Tourism representative Mr Kei Mori has been working with this market and continues to foster relationships with new and existing partners. 
A new B2C wholesaler to the Cook Islands - Club Tourism International (CTI) - just completed their first small group trip of 15 to the Cook Islands late last month. The trip was very successful and members of the group (including the tour leader) rated the experience 4.5 out of 5.

To provide relativity – other similar programmes running for some time rate about 4.2 or 4.3  There is a planned trip for a small group of 10 in August. 
CTI is a membership based company with 3million subscribers, of which 300,000 subscribers are interested in international holiday travels.  Eggelton returns later this week.