Ever wondered what a cowboy hat, snorkelling set and bottle of French champagne have in common? That’s exactly the challenge New Caledonia Tourism set for a group of strangers, allowing them just 30 seconds to identify where a suitcase had come from, for their chance to experience it themselves.

The video, created by New Caledonia Tourism (NCTPS) Australia, received the award for Best Tourism  Video in the Destination Category at the inaugural Tourism and Cultural Video Awards in Cannes, France last week.

The video was praised for its originality, innovation and was up against 141 other entries.

New Caledonia Tourism Australia director, Caroline Brunel, said this video captures the imaginations of potential Aussie visitors, allowing them to have a sneak-peak at what a New Caledonia holiday could be like before they book.

“New Caledonia is up against strong competition to win over Aussies looking for an island escape, so we wanted to ensure that New Caledonia’s unique experiences and magnificent scenery were captured in a fresh, innovative and engaging way,” she said.

“We wanted to address the misconceptions around the destination in Australia which include statements like: “it’s just another Pacific island” and “there is not much to do”, but also to use this as a platform to launch our virtual reality campaign and app.”

New Caledonia’s virtual reality (VR) campaign is a first for any Pacific Island destination and gives participants a taste of New Caledonia through a series of 360-degree videos.

Participants can discover the Caledonian bush; sail on an outrigger on the Isle of Pines, explore a Kanak tribe or cycle through the Mouli Bridge – a total of 15 Caledonian experiences can be discovered via a downloadable app (New Caledonia VR) and without needing a passport.