Vanuatu’s Holiday Hotspots: Pandanus Consulting uses BLP Subsidy to support local business growth
“It was rewarding meeting all the local businesses, in the remote Santo and Tanna. Many of them have no logo, no ads or anything. It was really great for them to see their business placed on the Hotspots Vanuatu map and for them to have something they can use going forward with their marketing.”
– Jackie Potgieter, Account Manager, Pandanus Consulting Vanuatu
Hotspots Vanuatu maps are practically iconic in the island nation of Vanuatu. A commercial project initiated by marketing and graphic design agency, Pandanus Consulting, Hotspots Vanuatu is a tourist essential.
Now in its 8th edition, Hotspots Vanuatu typically depicts the main island of Efate and Port Vila and its tourist attractions, but the 2020 editions will include another map for Santo, Tanna and the Islands and more local businesses than ever before.
In this article, we chat with Jackie Potgieter, Director and co-founder of Pandanus Consulting, to learn more about the role Hotspots Vanuatu plays in Vanuatu’s tourism economy and how the project is supporting business growth in the SME sector.
Pandanus Consulting was co-founded in 2010 by Nicola Barnes (originally from New Zealand) and Jackie Potgieter (originally from South Africa), who met while operating sister businesses in the Cayman Islands. Together they are a powerhouse of marketing experience and capability, having spent many years working in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Caribbean. The pair now reside in Vanuatu and operate their small but growing marketing and graphic design agency in Port Vila. Pandanus Consulting has been a Business Link Pacific approved business advisor since the end of 2017 and the firm specialises in marketing, advertising, event management, project management, branding and business planning.
Nicola and Jackie created the tourism brand Hotspots Vanuatu in 2013, and work to ensure both stay over and cruise tourists have knowledge on the attractions, dining, accommodation, spa and shopping options and businesses offer special deals through their vouchers which are then inserted into the Efate map. They are supported by the Department of Tourism and Vanuatu Tourism Office who hand out the maps to cruise ship passengers and in the tourism information office, and are included in tourism events and overseas destination marketing.
“We wanted it to be creative, fun, funky and of course informative. We work with an artist that sketches the maps, which are then digitised. Tourist attractions are placed on the online maps and are clickable so you can learn more about them. Most streets in Vanuatu don’t have street names, so the map also needed to be an effective visual representation of the area,” explains Jackie.
Hotspots Vanuatu brings destinations and attractions together in a colourful, unique map and discount vouchers. Visitors to Vanuatu can use the Map and vouchers to plan their trip, explore local attractions and have an authentic Vanuatu experience.
“There is such a diverse range of things to do and see; the people, the culture and the adventure. There is definitely no one image of Vanuatu. We want to encourage people to travel off the beaten track and support the local economy.”
The print run for Hotspots Vanuatu has increased steadily every year. In 2019, 80,000 maps were printed and distributed to overseas tourism wholesalers, cruise ships and locally owned accommodation, eateries and tourist attractions.
Teaming up with Pandanus Consulting to produce Hotspots Vanuatu, is one of Business Link Pacific’s biggest Subsidy projects to date. We provided a 50% subsidy of services to over 30 small-medium sized growing local businesses, so they could access and invest in the Hotspots Vanuatu advertising and marketing package provided by Pandanus Consulting.
Of the 30 businesses that were included in the project, 20% are women-led enterprises, 30% are mixed (husband & wife team) and 50% are owned by men. Jackie explains that the majority of these businesses are owned and operated by ni-Vanuatu, with only a small percentage being owned by expats.
“It was rewarding meeting all the local businesses, in the remote Santo and Tanna. Many of them have no logo, no ads or anything. It was really great for them to see their business on paper and for them to have something they can use going forward with their marketing. Even though I’ve been to Santo and Tanna before, what really blew me away is there’s so much to do and see, and so much culture.”
The expected impact of the Hotspots Vanuatu project for each of these businesses includes a significant increase in audience reach and exposure to the Vanuatu tourist market and an increase in demand and profit with a flow-on effect of business growth and expansion e.g. higher annual turnover, hiring more staff.
According to Jackie, Vanuatu businesses are slowly increasing their use of marketing, public relations and social media to promote their enterprises and there is now more understanding about the role effective marketing can play in stimulating business growth.
“We really wanted to include a lot of local businesses and make this version as inclusive as possible. It made sense to partner with Business Link Pacific, who support local ni-Vanuatu owned, growing businesses, many of whom are run by women or indigenous minority groups.”
Many of the business owners Jackie worked with during the project said they hadn’t had this type of publicity before or the resources to invest in graphic design and marketing services. The Business Link Pacific Subsidy which is designed to make business advice more affordable and introduce small-medium sized enterprises to reliable and quality services, enabled business owners to access Pandanus’ marketing services at a subsidised cost. Business owners had the option of different Hotspots Vanuatu marketing packages, each slightly different and based on the individual business’ needs.
“One of the highlights was definitely going around the islands, going door to door and meeting so many local people, hearing the stories of their business, putting their artwork together and seeing their excitement. They were all really excited and grateful to see that there was a company out there that was willing to support them to try and grow their business. It was definitely highly rewarding.”
When asked what one piece of advice she’d like to share with growing businesses, Jackie was quick to share a marketing basic that every start-up or growing enterprise should adhere to:
“Be consistent in your marketing. Get your branding and marketing done right the first time instead of putting something out there that doesn’t truly represent your business. While it seems like a very basic marketing tip, I believe it’s a good place to start. Consistency is key.”
Jackie is keen to continue working with the local businesses she has connected with through the Hotspots Vanuatu project and says that knowledge of the BLP programme is increasing.
“I really hope Business Link Pacific does carry on for a few more years because it’s a fantastic programme, there aren’t many ways you can get someone to help you with your business and help grow your business.”
The 2020 edition of the Hotspots Vanuatu Map will be distributed in early-mid January. The digital version is available to view now: https://www.hotspotsvanuatu.com/ with Hotspot maps available for Efate, Port Vila, Santo, Tanna, Lenakel, Luganville and a few hidden gems on Malekula and Rah.
If you’re a growing business and are interested in connecting with a BLP approved business advisor, like Pandanus Consulting, contact your in-country representative for a free consultation:
Vanuatu – Yvonne Leo Taiki on [email protected]
Samoa – John Lemoa on [email protected]
Papua New Guinea – Apeo Timoci on [email protected]
Fiji – Ramesh Chand on [email protected]