PATA exec: Market destinations as a region

The Northern Marianas and the rest of Micronesia should market collectively and reconsider their current “Magnificent Micronesia” brand to get their destination in the global consumer’s mind, according to a top Pacific Asia Travel Association official.

PATA vice president Peter Semone said Micronesian destinations have a better chance at attracting quality tourists and getting visitors to stay longer if they market as a region, instead of individually.

“We encourage Micronesia to work more closely together to create more consumer awareness of the brand Micronesia and also, to get people to stay longer in Micronesia. Right now, what people do is they come to the CNMI and stay 3 or 4 days, or go to Guam and stay 2 or 3 days. But if you could get that length of stay within Micronesia to go up to 7, 8, or 10 days by having multiple destinations, you’re going to have much more powerful sourcing and product, and probably get more high quality tourists in this part of the world,” said Semone, who was the keynote speaker at the Marianas Visitors Authority general membership meeting on Tuesday.

He said that while some Micronesian islands were initially hesitant about regional marketing, they are now starting to acknowledge the benefits of a collective approach.

He reported that during a recent PATA Micronesia meeting, the national tourist offices of the Marshalls, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and the CNMI have agreed to regional marketing.

Semone also pledged PATA’s support for the move, saying the tourism group is ready to help the region in coming up with strategic plans and in identifying each destination’s unique selling points.

“[We believe that] you shouldn’t be selling the same thing. The only way you’re going to get people to go to all of the different destinations is if you have unique selling points. We can help Micronesia do that,” Semone said. “We can also continue to be the glue that keeps the countries together because cooperation is not always easy. It is a very complicated matter.”

Semone further expressed concern about the “Magnificent Micronesia” brand that the region is currently using for marketing. Not only has the brand been around for a long time, but it also does not quite describe what Micronesia has to offer, he said.

“In the short term, it might be okay. But in the long term, you might want to come up with something that may be a little more definitive of what your product is. For instance, ‘Micronesia From Ancient to Modern,’ where you take in the culture and history of Micronesia and also take in the fact that it’s a very modern destination. Magnificent Micronesia may not be quite as descriptive as some of the other things can be,” he said.

Nevertheless, Semone maintained that the branding issue is only a matter of semantics that can be dealt with at a later time. “What’s important is the concept of cooperative marketing,” he said.