cruise ships

The Department of Tourism (D0T) said the seafront will no longer be used as the temporary cruise solution.

“We are progressively returning to the Port-Vila Main Wharf, as agreed between the Vanuatu Government through the Department of Ports & Harbour, and Carnival Australia this month”.

All cruise vessels to Port-Vila were temporarily suspended by the Government for safety reasons, due to the infrastructural damage caused by Tc Judy and TC Kevin in March.

P&O Carnival Pacific Adventure, with a carrying capacity of over 3000 passengers is scheduled to berth in Port-Vila on Sunday.

It comes with a range of other immigration announcements, including sector-specific agreements to support a shift away from low-skilled migrant labour, and a new 'Green list' of 85 hard-to-fill high-skill roles that provides a priority pathway to residency.

Visas for some 20,000 migrants already in the country are also being extended, and there will be new restrictions on students being able to work.

According to Vanuatu’s Daily Post on Friday, Vanuatu’s Crew-Center said that the number of cruise ships for the island of Santo in 2020 keeps decreasing while two other ports in Vanuatu, the beautiful Mystery Island and Port Vila’s cruise numbers keep hiking from the previous year.

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Joe Natuman, tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Vanuatu.

“Since cyclone Pam in 2015 the economy was really down and it was the tourism that lifted Vanuatu’s economy to what it is at the moment,” Natuman said..

“This is very important and overall it will contribute to the economy of Vanuatu. It will contribute to the livelihoods of people who produce all these products, who are here with us on the boat today,” he added.

RNZ reports the Pacific Dawn will visit three times and bring at least 6,000 tourists.

The Port Vila cruise liners committee has welcomed the news but says it's a wake up call for the land and sea transport associations and the business community to be prepared.

Two cruise liners are expected to anchor when the new Port Vila wharf is completed towards the end of next year.