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ExperienceThe Sanctuary: Palau
26 September - 4 October 2026
PartnershipRoom-Res
Palau Visitors Authority
ExploreThe Sanctuary wrap
Room-Res has wrapped up The Sanctuary: Palau, with eight Australian travel agents returning from an immersive eight-night journey created in partnership with the Palau Visitors Authority.
The winners travelled from Brisbane to Koror from 26 September to 4 October, experiencing Palau's natural environment, culture, history, accommodation and tourism product firsthand.
The trip marked the culmination of The Sanctuary promotion, which was designed to build destination knowledge while rewarding agent booking activity and engagement.
With Qantas adding a second Brisbane - Palau service from December through March, agents will have even more options when building client itineraries, from shorter four-night escapes to longer stays that give travellers more time to experience the destination.
Eight agents. Eight nights. One destination experienced from above, below the surface and everywhere in between.More than the postcard view
The itinerary was deliberately designed to show agents the breadth of Palau and give them practical destination knowledge they could take directly back into client conversations.
Highlights included scenic flights over the Rock Islands with Smile Air, a cultural journey through Ngaraard, a full-day snorkelling experience with Fish 'n Fins, Peleliu and its World War II history with Paddling Palau, and time aboard the Four Seasons Explorer.
The group stayed at Palau Sunrise Seaview Landison Retreat and Palau Pacific Resort, while also experiencing hotel inspections, local dining and tourism products across the destination.
Building a partnership that lasts
Palau Visitors Authority Director Kadoi Ruluked said firsthand experience remains one of the most effective ways to build agent understanding and long-term destination advocacy.
“There's no substitute for experiencing Palau firsthand, from our pristine World Heritage Listed Rock Islands to the extraordinary jellyfish lake, and hosting Room.Res and its agents was about building a partnership that lasts.
Australian visitation is growing strongly, but there's more work to do and we're grateful to have Room.Res alongside us as we introduce more Australians to Palau. With Qantas' twice weekly flights, agents can now offer a four-night escape or a longer eight-night stay.”
Seeing Palau through the agents' eyes
For Vanessa from Travel Associates, the trip revealed far more depth to Palau than she had expected before travelling.
“Palau captivated me with its pristine beauty, from the breathtaking aqua waters to the lush jungle-fringed islands, delivering an authentic, relaxing and truly immersive experience.”
Her advice to other agents is to sell Palau as an experience rather than simply as a beach destination, highlighting its culture, history, diving and snorkelling.
Jade from Luxe World said the sheer diversity of Palau was one of the biggest surprises of the trip.
“Before visiting, most of my research focused on diving and snorkelling, and while these are undoubtedly huge drawcards, I was surprised by just how much more the destination has to offer.”
Jade said the combination of tropical rainforest, secluded beaches, pristine atolls, reefs, culture and WWII history makes Palau appealing well beyond the traditional dive market.
She recommends agents encourage clients to consider the longer eight-night stay so they can experience both land and sea without feeling rushed, with the Smile Air scenic flight an essential inclusion early in the itinerary.
“Palau is a breathtaking destination that offered the perfect balance of adventure, relaxation, rich culture and fascinating WWII history, with so much more to discover beyond its world-class diving and snorkelling.”
Rebecca from The Cruise and Travel Store said the biggest surprise was simply how much there is to experience outside Palau's best-known diving and snorkelling.
“You always hear about the diving and snorkelling, but there's honestly so much more to it than that. The culture, the history, the people and the different experiences you can have, whether that's in the air, on land or in the water.”
She described the Smile Air scenic flight as one of the trip's biggest “wow” moments, giving the group a completely different perspective of Palau's islands, reefs and atolls.
Fish 'n Fins was Rebecca's favourite experience of the trip, while Peleliu's WWII history made an equally strong impression despite history not normally being one of her main interests.
Rebecca said Palau is best sold by understanding what a client enjoys and creating an itinerary that mixes different types of experiences rather than focusing on one element of the destination.
“I'd try to include a bit of everything rather than focusing on just one type of activity. There's too much to miss out on otherwise.”
From Sydney conversations to Palau experiences
The Sanctuary trip formed part of Room-Res' wider partnership activity with the Palau Visitors Authority in Australia.
In July, Room-Res joined Travel Daily and the Palau Visitors Authority at The Room Residence in Sydney for Sustainable Tourism Spotlight: In Conversation with Palau.
The industry event explored the story behind the Palau Pledge, Palau's conservation leadership, responsible tourism and how agents can use destination storytelling to create stronger and more meaningful conversations with clients.
Moderated by Jo-Anne Hui-Miller from Travel Daily, the panel featured Laura Clarke, Honorary Consul General - Republic of Palau to Australia and Co-Founder of the Palau Pledge, and Onorina Fugawai, Tourism Manager at Pacific Trade Invest.
Every visitor to Palau is asked to sign the Palau Pledge, making a personal promise to preserve and protect the destination's natural and cultural heritage.
Turning firsthand experience into confidence
Room-Res Global Head of Supply and Industry Partnerships Kellie Smith said the partnership was designed to move beyond destination awareness and give agents knowledge they could translate into real client conversations.
“Palau has the kind of imagery that immediately captures attention, but what makes the destination genuinely compelling is everything you discover once you're there. The culture, conservation story, marine experiences, history and warmth of the destination give agents so much more to talk about than simply another beautiful island escape.”
Smith said connecting the Sydney industry discussion with an immersive agent experience in Palau had allowed Room-Res and the Palau Visitors Authority to move from awareness into practical destination education.
“The goal wasn't simply to send a group away and come home with great photographs. We wanted agents to understand who Palau is right for, what belongs in a great itinerary and why its approach to responsible tourism makes it so distinctive.
When an agent has experienced those things for themselves, the conversation with a client becomes completely different.”
The Sanctuary winners represented Luxe World, The Cruise and Travel Store, Travel Associates, Enperso Travel, Ignite Travel, Leisurecom, Global Travel Management and Travelcentre Bendigo.
Room-Res and the Palau Visitors Authority will continue working together to build destination knowledge across the Australian travel trade and introduce more Australian travellers to Palau.