Sales And Promotions Manager For New Caledonia

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Sales And Promotions Manager For New Caledonia

Virginia Hales has recently been appointed Sales and Promotions Manager at New Caledonia Tourism, based in Auckland. Having had extensive travel experience and exposure to different cultures, Virginia speaks French fluently and is looking forward to the opportunity to use this skill in her work, while still being able to live here in New Zealand.

Virginia sees her role to be one of educating New Zealanders about New Caledonia as a destination. "Because Kiwi's are so far away from anywhere, we believe we must go over to London and visit Paris and Spain for the opportunity to be somewhere so different and encounter new culture. What a lot of people don't yet realise is that this opportunity is right on our doorstep with New Caledonia," Virginia says.

Herein lies the core of Virginia's role and a message that she will be spreading among agents and other people in the trade. "There is a lot for people to do if they are wanting more than just a 'fly and flop' holiday and when you are there, you really feel like you could be on the other side of the world," Virginia says.

New Caledonia has retained strong French influences, setting it apart from other South Pacific destinations. "It has a colonial feel, French-style buildings with shutters on the windows. They mostly speak French and drive French cars like Renault's and Citroen's. You even see women walking around, dressed to the nine's and carrying their little dogs as though they were in Paris," Virginia recalls.

Virginia brings to her sales role an obvious passion for the place that she hopes will be contagious. "It is only two and a half hours from Auckland and has strong connections to New Zealand; a lot of people don't realise that there are New Zealanders buried there from the World Wars. It is truly a remarkable place with a fascinating history," Virginia says.

As well as sharing her love for the country, Virginia is looking forward to the opportunity to develop sound relationships with agents and wholesalers in the trade and hopes to initiate a rapport between the people over in New Caledonia and within the New Zealand market.

Virginia hopes to bring more people from New Caledonia over here and encourage them to see ways to celebrate their culture and develop cultural attractions to showcase this to tourists. Virginia also intends to develop the 'adventure tourism side of the destination, already regarded as a 'paradise for Hikers and Kitesurfers.

After falling in love with the country just over a decade ago, Virginia will this week visit New Caledonia again, to reacquaint herself with the place, which she expects will have seen big changes since she was last there.

ENDS

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