Partner Update


Partner Update
September 2003
Advertising Industry News Economy Tradeshows Public Relations Media Exposure Product Updates Special Feature! Workshops Web Statistics	Photo by Vincent Audet

Advertising

Operation Jump Start Promotion Launched September 7^th

In order to stimulate the market, TTNA launched Operation Jump Start on September 7^th which will be followed by the Vacation Values Program. TTNA and our Partners have budgeted $650,000 for the combined promotional effort.

Operation Jump Start, a limited time ãbuy now, travel laterä program, has a lead price of $999 per person for a five night Tahiti/Moorea or a five-night Bora Bora package at a Beachfront Resort, including R/T airfare from Los Angeles with Air Tahiti Nui, inter-island transportation, ground transfers and lei greetings.

Vacation Values Launches Earlier This Year

Following Operation Jump Start, the annual November Vacation Values Program will be launching one month earlier on October 5^th, 2003. Part of TTNAâs continued integrated marketing and communications strategy is to promote travel to Tahiti & Her Islands from November through March.

Industry News

Following our Diving market strategy, a meeting which included a number of dive centers and tourism professionals was held in Papeete, Tahiti. The American diving market is the largest diving market in the world.

Increase of American Visitors

Tahiti and Her Islands welcomed 96,992 visitors during the first half of 2003, an 11.5% increase over the same period a year ago, giving Tahiti a net six-month increase of 10,005 visitors. There has been a 28% increase in the volume of North American visitors to Tahiti during the first half of 2003. Trying to capitalize on the positive travel attitude of North Americans today, Tahiti Tourisme North America's campaign messages will be simple. The accent will be on the romance and serenity of Tahiti & Her Islands, the key values that attract North American visitors today. Visitors particularly appreciate the ãHidden Paradisesä, such as the Tuamotu atolls of Fakarava and Rangiroa and the Leeward Islands of Huahine and Tahaâa.

Economy

Consumer Confidence Bounced Back in August

On August 26, 2003, the Wall Street Journal reported that consumers have regained confidence in the marketplace. Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Boardâs consumer research center claimed that Îthe welcome bounce back in confidence this month was entirely due to consumers' increasing optimism about the future". Indeed, the expectation index jumped to 94.4 from 86.3, while the index measuring attitudes on present conditions slipped to 61.6 from 63. After a flat consumer confidence index in June, the Commerce Department report showed that durable goods orders rose for a second month straight in July.

Dow Industrials Top 9600
As Economic Data Improve

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, September 18 that there is encouraging news on the job front as well as an improvement in leading indicators which gave a solid boost to major indexes on Wednesday, September 17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at its highest point in about 15 months.

Public Relations

PR Summit 2003

On August 22, 2003, TTNA held a PR Summit for the Public Relations representatives from our Airline, Hotel and Cruise Partners. We were also pleased to have representatives from the GIE Tahiti Tourisme's PR Team from Papeete in attendance. The TTNA PR Team prepared an interactive, open discussion about the impact of PR on the industry and discussed future relations between our office and our Partners, as well as communication among the Partners themselves.

Our overall objectives for the PR Summit were as follows:

To educate TTNA's PR Partner Representatives on TTNA's objectives and strategies.
To review how PR fits into TTNA's overall marketing program.
To achieve alignment on key tactical issues.
To initiate a dialogue on ways to improve communications and effectiveness of each Partner's PR activities.

The TTNA PR Team and the attending Partners found that many of our PR strategies are in line with one another. We received positive feedback from the participating Partners and a unanimous vote to hold this Summit annually.

Are You Prepared to Face the Media?

Here are some tips that we think may be helpful in an interview situation with a journalist:

Keep your answers brief and to the point.
Listen to the entire question before answering.
Speak in terms understood by the non-expert ö avoid industry jargon.
Know your key message points and weave them into your responses.
Focus on the positive.
Have facts and figures ready to back your position.
Be calm, courteous and honest.
Never talk ãoff the record."
If you donât know the answer to a question, tell the reporter youâll look into it and follow up appropriately.

Anyone who is likely to face the media in planned or unplanned situations should be media trained for the following reasons:

Increase control and confidence.
Learn to recognize and respond to news when it occurs.
Generate positive exposure for your company and partners.
Position yourself as a valuable resource for the media and source for expert commentary.

Media Exposure
Following our Operation Jump Start update above, we would also like to share our PR initiatives on this campaign. Click on the following links to reference recent exposure on the Specials that our Partners are currently running: MSNBC.com SportDiver.com National Geographic Traveler TravelZoo 'Top 20 Deals'
	The A-List Travel + Leisure featured their A-List of 125 Travel Agents in the recent September issue. In a survey poll of the A-List Travel Agents, French Polynesia placed #1 for "Best Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways." Hawaii placing second. In addition, the Taha'a Pearl Beach Resort & Spa (which has recently changed their name to "Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa"), was pictured with the survey results.
September 2003	Travel + Leisure has a readership of 4,323,506
	South Pacific - It's a Wrap The South Pacific section of Bridal Guide's Honeymoon Supplement in their September/October issue opens with a feature on Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa. Noting that the resort's Manea Spa is "one of the newest and most talked about spas in Tahiti." The article also covers the island of Taha'a with several ideas for exploration including visiting the local vanilla plantations and pearl farms. Article written by Shari Mycek
Sept/Oct 2003	Bridal Guide has a readership of 1,116,665
	20 Top H2O Honeymoons French Polynesia was chosen as one of the twenty top honeymoon water destinations by author Joe Yogerst. Focused on the Tuamotu atolls, and featuring the Hotel Kia Ora in Rangiroa, the description of the Tuamotu atolls states that honeymooners can "dive or snorkel with black-tip sharks or giant manta rays (and) sleep the starry nights away in an over water bungalow..."
Fall/Winter 2003	Weddings & Honeymoons has a readership of 150,000
	Bora Bora is Eden Eden In a 7-page spread, author Elizabeth Norwood compares the Hotel Bora Bora to the Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, claiming that the "new kid and the grand dame have very different definitions of paradise.". In addition to a dozen gorgeous images, the article highlights Air Tahiti Nui's Poerava (Business Class) noting that "you'll arrive surprisingly refreshed."
Summer/Fall 2003	Fine has a readership of 250,000
	DIVE Log - Tahiti and Her Islands In a 6-page article author and photographer Michael Aw captures Tahiti and Her Islands for divers from above and below. The article highlights various activities including music, dance and the simplicity of life in French Polynesia in addition to the world-class diving. The article also covers valuable information for readers including travel tips and an accurate description of the five archipelagos.
September 2003	Scuba Diving has a readership of 650,456
	MASSIVE TEAHUPO'O In addition to the cover shot of the famed Teahupo'o wave, Tahiti and Her Islands is featured in a dozen images in the recent issue of Surf. A 20-page article by Justin Cote covers the recent Billabong Surf Contest and beautifully highlights not only the waves of Tahiti-iti, but the land as well. Famed surfer Kelly Slater is quoted in the article, "We all look forward to and are terrified of Teahupo'o every year. I really want to thank the Tahitian people for all that they do for this contest".
September 2003	Surf has a readership of 250,000
	Another cover shot of Teahupo'o is featured in the September issue of Surfing magazine. Complete with dozens of images of Tahiti and Her Islands, Nick Carroll writes a side-bar titled "The Value of Straight Line" offering key points to surfers by illustrating Cory Lopez' s "straight line" on a decent sized wave at Teahupo'o.
September 2003	Surfing has a readership of 244,283
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Product Updates
Special Voyages to the Marquesas
	The m/s Paul Gauguin has scheduled a special voyage to the Marquesas from November 15-29 in recognition of the 25^th Death Anniversary of Belgian singer, Jacques Brel. His partner, Madly Bamy, will be onboard for this special voyage along with Jean- Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques- Yves Cousteau. Photo courtesy of Tim McKenna
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Bora Bora Cruises
The popular three star catamaran "Haumana" will cease operation at the end of October 2003. The company chairman Mehiti Degage states that "Whilst the Haumana will be missed from the Bora Bora Cruises fleet, the recent commencement of services by the new super yachts the Tu Moana and the Ti'a Moana is the beginning of a new era for our company, with a strong focus on exclusive experiences catering to the high-end market. Unfortunately, the Haumana can no longer serve this vision". The Haumana 's last (4 night) cruise departs Bora Bora on Tuesday, October 28th. Guests booked on the Haumana after October 2003 will be offered generous opportunities to sail with the Tu Moana.

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	New offices for Bora Bora Lagoon Resort! Sales and Marketing Office 9150 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 104 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Telephone: 310-271-2611 Fax: 310-271-2663 1-800-830-2409 Email addresses remain the same: Melanie Perry ~ mperry@bblr.net Colleen Dooley ~ cdooley@bblr.net
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The Tahiti Traveler, an online travel agency, is pleased to announce a Webcam live from the InterContinental Beachcomber Tahiti Resorts. This webcam refreshes every 60 seconds. http://www.thetahititraveler.com/multimedia/webcam.asp
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Kia Ora
	The Kia Ora Hotel is proud to announce their new swimming pool which was officially "baptized" by the famous Hollywood Director Tony Scott and his family. He is internationally known for such films as Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Enemy of the State and many other movies.
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Golf Course located at Atimaono, 45 minutes from Papeete
The golf course offers a pool, Pro Shop, boutique, bar and restaurant service till 04:00 pm. The course is 6900 yards long, par 72, mostly flat with a few small hills. Course rules require that each player have his own set of clubs. Balls, tees and other expendables may also be available for purchase at the Pro Shop. 2003 Travel Agent Rates and 2004 rates are also available. For more information, please contact Skip Anderson at: skiptahiti@yahoo.com or Tahiti Tourisme at: info@tahiti-tourisme.com *The golferâs Lunch Menu @1800 xpf includes one choice in each category: salad, Main Course and Beverage (Glass of wine, soft drink or Hinano Beer)
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Calendar of Events
October 15th-17th: Welcome back to the 'Hawaiki Nui Va'a'! With approximately 82 to 84 teams, including Hawaii and New Zealand, the international canoe race will depart on October 15th from Fare, Huahine and continue on to Uturoa, Raiatea. The following day, the race will leave Raiatea for Taha'a. On October 17th, a 58-kilometer distance race departing at 7:00 a.m. will have competitors striving to reach Matira Point in Bora Bora by 12:30 with the last canoe expected to arrive around 01:30.	Photo-Tatiana Solman
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Upcoming Tradeshows 2003
Show	Date	Location
DEMA	October 8-11	Miami, Florida
Honeymoon & Romantic Getaways	November 3-4	Long Beach, CA
Luxury Travel Expo	December 2-3	Las Vegas, NV
For more information on Tradeshows, please contact Mari Masuda at: mmasuda@tahiti-tourisme.com

FALL Workshops **Change of Location in Los Angeles**
We would like to inform our partners that the Los Angeles venue location has changed to The Westin Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. Please notify all representatives and click here for a copy of the revised Workshop Invitation. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused. For more information, please contact Mari Masuda at mmasuda@Tahiti-Tourisme.com or 310-414-8484 x 231. Workshops are held from 8 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Except Toronto, which will be held from 1 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Canadian Workshops
*October 20 - OTTAWA* Fairmont Chateau Laurier 1 Rideau Street Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8S7	October 21 - TORONTO* Four Seasons Hotel 21 Avenue Road Toronto, ON M5R 2G1
October 22 -EDMONTON The Westin Edmonton 10135 - 100th Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0N7	October 23 -CALGARY Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire 255 Barclay Paradise SW Calgary, AB, T2P 5C2
October 24 -VANCOUVER Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel 1088 Burrand Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2R9
US Workshops
November 4 - Tampa Hilton Westshore Tampa Airport 2225 North Lois Avenue Tampa, FL 33607	November 4 - Los Angeles The Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa 2025 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles, CA 90067
*November 5 - New York/Manhattan* The New York Helmsley Hotel 212 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10014	November 5 - San Diego/Mission Valley Hilton San Diego Mission Valley 901 Camino Del Rio South San Diego, CA 92108
November 6 - Sacramento Radisson Hotel Sacramento 500 Leisure Lane Sacramento, CA 95815	November 6 - Washington D.C/ Arlington Hilton Arlington & Towers 950 N. Stafford Street Arlington, VA 22203
November 11- Detroit/Troy Hilton Northfield 5500Crooks Road @ I-75 Troy, MI 48098	November 11 - Denver/Tech Center Hyatt Regency Denver Tech 7800 E. Tufts Avenue Denver, CO 80231
*November 12 - Chicago/Oakbrook* Wyndham Drake Oak Brook 2301 York Road Oak Brook, IL 60523	November 12 - Albuquerque Albuquerque Doubletree 201 Marquette Avenue NW Albuquerque, NM 87102
*November 13 - Minneapolis* Hilton Minneapolis St. Paul Airport 3800 East 80th Street Bloomington, MN 55425	November 13 - Phoenix Phoenix Airport Marriott 1101 North 44th Street Phoenix, AZ 85008

Travel Agents can register at: www.Tahiti-Tourisme.com/workshop/

Special Feature!
Whale Watching Season
	The Humpback whale watching season has begun in Tahiti & Her Islands. Some whale specialists estimate that between 300 and 1,000 such whales will visit the Polynesian waters where they spend the winter. These whales are observed in Tahiti & Her Islands between June and December, but the best time is between August and October.
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TTNA Web Statistics
Photo courtesy of Surfer Magazine	August Web Stats Successful Hits: 3,043,606 Total Impressions: 941,155 User Sessions: 90,605 Unique Users: 37,268 Average Session Length: 9:02
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As a reminder, you also have access to previous issues of our Tiare News and Partner Updates which are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF downloads in the Partner section of our site:

http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/partners


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Special Voyages to the Marquesas