Earlier this month, the Cook Islands Tourism team, led by North American General Manager Christian Mani and General Marketing Manager Head Office Daniel Fisher, exhibited at the Travel & Adventure Show in Los Angeles. The event presented a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the destination, particularly in light of Hawaiian Airlines' new non-stop weekly flight from Honolulu launched in May 2023. This convenient one-stop connection from 15 U.S. Continental gateway cities opens up the Cook Islands to a wider audience.

Given that the Cook Islands remains largely undiscovered by North American travelers, the team's focus was on generating excitement and highlighting the destination's unique selling points. They were met with enthusiastic interest, engaging in meaningful conversations with potential visitors who fell into three categories: those who had previously visited, those with some awareness through joint PR with Hawaiian Airlines, and those hearing about the Cook Islands for the first time.

Adding to the buzz, renowned travel expert Pauline Frommer even named the Cook Islands as one of Frommer's Top Destinations to visit in 2024 during her presentation at the show! This recognition drove a significant amount of interest to the Cook Islands booth, further fueling excitement among potential visitors.

The eye-catching backlit booth showcased a variety of promotional materials, including maps, special offers, and helpful guidebooks: the in-house produced Insiders Guide, Accommodation Guide, and Activities Guide. These were further complemented by land packages from Turama Pacific Travel Group, Goway Travel and Pleasant Holidays.

The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, a two-day event attracting thousands of travel enthusiasts, proved to be an excellent platform once again for showcasing the Cook Islands. Building on this success, Cook Islands Tourism will continue its participation in the travel show circuit, with upcoming events in Phoenix and the Bay Area.