Tourism

According to RNZI, he said this year there will be a focus on niche markets, such as dive tourism and health tourism in small island nations.

Mr Vuidreketi said there was a long-term aim to hold similar events in the islands themselves, but was happy that tourists from New Zealand and Australia had remained loyal to the islands despite the recent disasters.

According to RNZI, they want a tax exemption until temporary runway repairs are completed at the country's main international airport in Port Vila.

In January, Air New Zealand, Qantas and Virgin Australia announced that they were suspending flights to the country over safety concerns about the runway at Bauerfield International Airport.

The vice president of the southern province, Martine Lagneau, says the island had 114,000 visitors in 2015, the highest on record and an increase of 7,000 visitors since 2014.

RN ZI reports most visitors came from nearby Australia and New Zealand, which recorded increases of 15.8 percent and 25.8 percent respectively.

The experts from Government Ministries and Agencies of MSG Member States held their second Aviation and Tourism Dialogue at the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu, last week.

The two-day meeting was a follow-up to provide a platform for members to continue discussions on key issues, challenges and opportunities faced by member countries including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.

The Vanuatu Tourist Rep for New Zealand says the past year has been difficult, with visitor numbers from New Zealand down 20 percent overall for 2014.

But, Tourist Rep, Jacquie Carson, says there's nothing still damaged or closed from Cyclone Pam, and more visitors are heading out to the island of Espiritu Santo.

SPTE organisers, the South Pacific Tourism Organization’s (SPTO) Chief Executive Ratu Ilisoni Vuidreketi said the popular tourist destination was chosen due to the request and feedback from private sector members in the Pacific region.

It’s the third year for the event to be held and coincides with other major events such as the Australian Tourism Exchange that will take place a week prior.

The Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Steve Ciobo has announced that Australia will support a campaign to boost tourism in Vanuatu to help restore vital income for the people who were devastated by the severe tropical cyclone earlier this year.

The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) conducted six in-country consultations through workshops and stakeholder discussions at a national level to seek valuable feedback from the private and public sector to develop the PCTDS. 

The workshops focused on examining and evaluating key elements that were proposed during the Pacific Cruise Development workshop that was held in Melbourne in June this year. Stakeholders also discussed the best options to adopt in the strategy, keeping in mind the various action steps proposed to put each element into effect.

SIVB board chairman, Wilson Ne’e made this remarks during the one day cruise ship meeting organised by Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) at the Heritage Parke Hotel in Honiara.

Ne’e said, Solomon Island has its own unique culture which needs to be exposed  around the globe rather than copying Fiji and Vanuatu way of marketing.

“I would like to tell this meeting today (Wednesday) that Solomon Island have many  unique culture still there  that we need to promote it around the globe for tourists ”

“You know that Vanuatu is not strictly Port Vila, we also have beautiful islands out there."

The Deputy Prime Minister made the remarks in his welcome address to Tok Tok 2015 buyers from Australia during breakfast at Grand Hotel, courtesy of Tok Tok Vanuatu historical sponsor, ANZ Bank Vanuatu and Vanuatu Tourism Office yesterday.

His timely remarks come on the heels of extensive media coverage of the Tanna Lodge fire during which 21 Australian tourists had to be evacuated from the southern island to Port Vila for safety reasons this week.