Transcript
Ninety-four sellers and tourism operators from 17 Pacific nations promoted their products at the show.
The Marshall Islands' Tourism manager, Brenda Alik, says traditional skills are being combined with modern methods to boost industry in the republic.
She says the islanders have been able to preserve their knowledge, skills and craft.
"And we want to keep those skills alive and pass them on to our younger generation. It's really a way for tourism - to boost tourism but at the same time to boost our economy, especially in the outer islands. The main resources of our people in the outer islands is their handicrafts and those skills and to share and I think it's important for us to keep those alive."
The 'One Island One Product' initiative comes alive each May and coincides with the island's Constitution Day celebrations.
The director of Tourism Solomons, Josefa Tuamoto, says they want to be a more forward-looking and robust industry.
He says the re-branding, which has a couple of meanings, captures the niches and market segments within the country.
"Solomon Is - capital I and S can mean Solomon Islands - or as part of a verb we use Solomon is beautiful. So this Solomon is...whatever you think that you want to use, you can use in the Solomon Islands. It's particularly with the locals here in the Solomons, they're very proud of it and they own it."
Papua New Guinea and the Pacific's ambassador for tourism, Leoshina Kariha - the reigning Miss Pacific Islands - was also at the Auckland event.
The 19-year-old Bougainville native says she is working with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation to promote climate sustainability in the region.
"It's about those small actions that you can take as an individual to start saying, to give that message - know we are going through these challenges and we are going to do something about it. And not just throwing the blame. We are taking responsibility to start changing our situation."
Ms Kariha welcomed the 'No-Pelesitiki' campaign in Tonga and the island kingdom encouraging its people to use fabric bags and baskets woven from coconut fibres as an alternative.
Brenda Alik says she hopes next year's tourism exchange event is held in a Pacific island country, which would be a first for the region.
