But whereas the beaches, palm trees and bungalows were viewed as the most important facet of island experiences, event planners now place far more emphasis on other aspects, including quality food and pamper options.
In the last 10 years conference delegates in Australia and New Zealand have been particularly spoilt when it comes to food. Major convention and exhibition centres and smaller city-based venues all serve exceptional cuisine. Indeed, Australia really is the envy of much of the rest of the world when it comes to food.
Perhaps having realised this, island destinations are now focusing more on what they can offer in terms of exciting food options.
Most recently New Caledonia Tourism has recruited celebrity TV chef, Gabriel Gaté to be the face of its new gourmet experience campaign.
Synonymous with French cuisine in Australia, Gabriel is helping to promote New Caledonia as the ultimate haven for foodies looking for an experience that is all about the finer things in life – good food and wine in a stunning setting.
General manager of New Caledonia Tourism, Diane Moynihan, says Gabriel was the perfect choice to promote New Caledonia’s “Gourmet Experience” to Australians.
“Gabriel has been a respected and well known face on the food scene in Australia for two decades and will play a key role in helping us promote New Caledonia’s credentials to Australians as a great gourmet destination,” she said.
“New Caledonia is distinct from other South Pacific destinations in that it offers an authentic, world class gourmet experience just two-and-a-half hours from the east coast. It offers the best of both worlds in allowing you to enjoy an international fine dining experience akin to visiting France, just a few hours from home and in a beautiful tropical setting.”
Gabriel Gaté is also pretty excited about his new role.
“I’ve had the pleasure of travelling to the destination several times and each time I visit I discover something exciting, whether it be a new restaurant, talented chef, fantastic produce or those great little finds like an amazing chocolatier in Noumea, or sampling the fresh vanilla beans they grow on the Loyalty Islands,” he said.
“It is such a rich and beautiful destination that has a first-class food scene for those travellers looking for a real gourmet experience.”
As part of its campaign New Caledonia is producing a definitive gourmet guide so Australians can savour the destination like a local. Bon Appétit is a 20 page tabloid style guide that shares some of New Caledonia’s best kept gourmet secrets and is a must for any visitor planning to indulge their senses in French-Melanesian blended food.
“The locals in New Caledonia have always known the great food and wine experience on offer, but many visitors can overlook this because they haven’t had the guidance to know where to go and what to do,” Ms Moynihan said.
“Bon Appétit is all about showing them how they can get the best out of their experience from visiting some of the best restaurants you’ll ever eat at, to shopping for amazing ingredients to picking up your own produce for a gourmet picnic.”
Fine food certainly isn’t contained to one South Pacific island by any means. Fiji too is becoming better known for its quality cuisine.
At the 2007 AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards held in February this year, the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa’s popular outdoor eatery was named Best Restaurant for its innovative cuisine.
The property also won the “Frontliner” award for customer service.
General manager of the Sofitel Fiji Resort, Amanda Silk, said the hotel’s two diverse award wins acknowledge Sofitel’s commitment to customer service, operational expertise and product innovation.
She said the Best Restaurant accolade showed how far Fiji has progressed on its journey to becoming a legitimate food destination, setting a new benchmark for others to aspire to in terms of quality and menu selection.
“The Sofitel Fiji and our fine food and beverage team at Salt has won a variety of service and chef awards in the past, but this nationally recognised award for the restaurant at large and its staff is the jewel in our culinary crown,” she said.
Salt Restaurant prioritises local Fijian produce in preference to overseas products, and is said to offer the most diverse menu on offer in Fiji. From sushi and salad to grills, pizza and pasta, Salt has broad appeal for every visitor who passes through its door. The restaurant also boats an authentic tandoor clay oven to create mouth-watering Indian favourites, including stone ground lamb, raita, spiced chicken kebabs, pappadums and delicious naan.
Often because of their isolation island resorts have in the past struggled to ensure that they retain a high level of service. This is an important aspect, especially for the high-end convention and incentive groups – many whose members have seen and done it all before.
Visitors to island resorts want to be relaxed; they want to wind down and shrug off the frenetic pace of city life. But that doesn’t mean that service standards should be anything but exemplary.
Recently Sheraton and Westin Resorts Fiji announced the introduction of a new Star Meetings Concierge concept across the three
Starwood resorts on Denarau Island – The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Sheraton Fiji Resort and Sheraton Denarau Villas.
Lead by chief meeting concierge, Timothy Morgan, the Star Meetings team has been created to ensure impeccable, personalised customer service to the large number of group, incentive, meeting and event clients that visit the resorts every year. In addition to this, the appointed Star Meeting Concierge is personally responsible for the flawless execution of each meeting and event, acting as the main liaison to meeting planners and group leaders while staying at the resort, and representing the voice of the customer for the operational teams.
Director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton and Westin Resorts Denarau Island, Fiji, Steve Molnar, says this dedicated, new initiative is a valuable addition to the meeting and event facilities that set the Sheraton and Westin Resorts apart from other conference venues in Fiji and the South Pacific.
“It further enables meeting planners, organisers and delegates to do what’s most important - interacting with each other, while ensuring their every need is catered for and their meetings are a complete success.”
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