Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia has appointed tourism trade and destination marketing specialist Ben Urquhart as Senior North Pacific tourism advisor.
The role will focus on market readiness, working directly with tourism operators from Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru to help make their offerings more accessible and easier to package, price and sell through Australian wholesale, retail and specialist channels.
The North Pacific is home to some of the world’s best diving, fishing, surfing and World War II wreck heritage, set against rich cultural and natural environments – but at present, very little of it is packaged in a way the Australian trade can easily sell.
The project will be delivered in partnership with the five national tourism offices, who lead destination marketing for their countries, working alongside airlines, individual operators and the Australian travel trade to build booking pathways. Operator-level work will build on PTI Australia’s existing Digital Tourism Program and Treasures of the South Pacific programmes.
It will also support air services in the region, including the emerging North Pacific Connector and the Palau–Paradise Express, with itineraries designed around existing routes and booking windows.
Urquhart brings 14 years of experience across the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. He previously led the Vanuatu Tourism Office in the Australian market and has recently delivered a range of Austrade-funded programs for Tourism Central Australia.
The North Pacific Tourism Packaging and Market Access Programme is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation (P4A) program.
James Ramsay, executive director of the P4A program, said the initiative marked another step in supporting Pacific tourism.
“The P4A program is delighted to take another step in supporting tourism in the Pacific,” Ramsay said. “Tourism is more than just an economic driver for the region; along with aviation, it brings members of the Pacific family closer together. This initiative aims to boost tourist infrastructure and route viability, but it’s also about increasing opportunities for visitors to experience the rich cultural and natural heritage of the North Pacific.”
The program covers the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru.
Australian wholesalers, retail groups, niche specialists or agents interested in North Pacific product can register interest by emailing Ben Urquhart at ben@pacifictradeinvest.com.
