Vanuatu Tourism at Dema 2009

Sue Herrick, our VTO representative in North America and Danish Syed, the new owner of Aquamarine, Santo recently attended DEMA in Orlando, Florida 4-7 November. Sue reports that, she felt that attendance allowed more time to speak to “more serious” dive shop operators and wholesalers and felt that those who attended were genuine in their efforts to learn about new dive destinations. She added that “our regular dive wholesalers were all at the show, and everyone was anxious to meet Danish and he in turn, keen to learn about their business and where they see Vanuatu as part of their worldwide mix of destinations”.

Danish met with the Product Manager of Caradonna Dive, the largest dive operation in the North America;  they have recently acquired PADI Dive, and therefore keen to expand their operations. 

One of the other more significant meetings was with About Australia Dive, a US based , Australian owned company, who expressed an interest to combine their present successful operation to Australia and to combine a Vanuatu package, utilizing the Air Vanuatu Brisbane/Santo services.

VTO and Aquamarine will share a booth at the largest consumer dive show in the U.S.,  “Beneath The Sea”, in New Jersey in March, and if all goes well, will have a booth next to About Australia Dive:  this will have point-of-sale advantage for those consumers who want the information on where to dive, what to dive, and more importantly, how to get there, and especially to escape the New Jersey and New York winter !)