IC TRAVEL AGENT November 2013 | Page 12

First Light Promo It’s what every traveller wants to see at the dawning of the first day of the New Year. They want to witness the FIRST LIGHT. The sun will rise and its rays will strike mountain tops first. Which mountain top is the key to the promotion. What You Need To Know Each day the sun sweeps across the Pacific and until recently Mt. Hikurangi, (the highest peak (1754 metres) in the rugged Raukumara Range, in the North Island of New Zeland), was recognized as the first point on the New Zealand mainland and the rest of the world to greet the morning sun. That position has now been assumed by Fakaofo. The sun will rise over Fakaofo over an hour before New Zealand and the reason is: Fakaofo moved itself across the date line so it could do business with New Zealand during their business hours. Make It An Adventure – Which It Is You could arrange for your clients to be anywhere to witness the dawning of any day. The key question is: what does that dawning represent? The New Year promo’ offers the first light of the first day of the New Year. If you are new to selling travel and using world events as a promotional tool, you can imagine the interest to be somewhere memorable when the millennium year 2000 clicked in. There were special cruises and tours and yes, hikes up to the highest points on the planet – Everest being one. Imagine the interest in witnessing the dawning of 2100 - it’s only 87 years away! You could sell the First Light of every New Year between now and then. With only 2 months to go it’s might be late in the day to arrange a First Light 2014 other than a local event. Choose your highest peak. If that means snow make it a First Light ski promo. If you support an association breast cancer for instance, use the First Light idea as an awareness program. Build a group, generate commissions and share them with the cancer group you support. Mt. Hikurangi still rates as #1 for this promotion. If your clients are not wanting to travel to New Zealand that’s okay. All you have to do is find the highest point in your local area, state, province, territory, country, region and make contact with the tourist bodies in charge to arrange the trek. Tuning In To All Things Spiritual Ah the magic word – spiritual. Everyone wants a piece of it and so do you. It’s a key word for this promotion. Let your clients decide on what is and what isn’t – all you have to do is promote the First Light idea. Now you know what seeing the light is all about. This is an annual event. Work with your colleagues and your HOST agency HQ and a preferred supplier and Be Sure to Share. ? Page 12