Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has taken its signature Tok Tok roadshow to Australia for the first time, hosting trade events in Brisbane and Sydney as it looks to reconnect with industry partners and showcase the destination\u2019s next chapter.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to Travel Weekly<\/em> at the Sydney event, Vanuatu Tourism Office chief executive officer, Adela Issachar Aru, was quick to make one thing clear.<\/p>\n \u201cVanuatu is not a sand and sea destination,\u201d she says. \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s truly an adventure destination. It\u2019s about what speaks to your heart. It\u2019s about rawness, authenticity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt really does show that culture is still part of who we are. We live it rather than stage it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The first Tok Tok roadshow since 2023 brought together 19 suppliers from across Vanuatu\u2019s 83 islands \u2013 the largest delegation of its kind to visit Australia \u2013 to reconnect with travel advisors and showcase the South Pacific nation\u2019s evolving tourism offering.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The roadshow comes amid strong visitor growth, with a reported 42 per cent increase in Australian arrivals in January 2026 compared with January 2020.<\/p>\n According to VTO, Vanuatu welcomed over 48, 000 Australian arrivals from January to July of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 38 per cent.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia<\/span> i<\/span>s o<\/span>ur <\/span>number one tourism market \u2013 it has a market share of over 60 per cent,\u201d Aru said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd <\/span>we\u2019ve<\/span> seen <\/span>a strong growth<\/span> in terms of our <\/span>arrival <\/span>numbers from the Australia market.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Aru points to confidence in Vanuatu\u2019s airline partners, changing traveller mindsets and continued investment in the destination\u2019s sustainable tourism offering.<\/p>\n \u201cThe flights are there, <\/span>they\u2019re<\/span> connected, and <\/span>they\u2019re<\/span> arriving daily to Port Villa, <\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0Espiritu Santo,\u201d Aru says.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In 2023, Virgin Australia launched direct flights to Port Vila from Brisbane, followed closely by Qantas and Jetstar\u2019s Sydney to Port Vila service in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re<\/span> grateful that Solomon Airlines flies from Brisbane to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Santo,\u201d Aru said. \u201cThat really connects and <\/span>opens up<\/span> Espiritu Santo to the Australia market also.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While Efate, home to Port Vila, remains a key gateway, VTO is looking to encourage more Australians to explore the wider archipelago, with plans to grow visitation to the outer islands and new accommodation and tourism developments expected over the next five years.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aru says VTO has seen a shift in the types of experiences Australians are seeking when travelling to Vanuatu.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re starting to see more interest in adventure and people wanting to really immerse in culture,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re<\/span> not only wanting to go to swim at the blue hole, or at the blue lagoon. T<\/span>hey\u2019re<\/span> also wanting to immerse themselves and learn more of how we live here.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Sustainability is also playing a greater role in traveller decision-making, with visitors increasingly conscious of the impact their holidays have on local communities and the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to give back to the communities, they\u2019re looking for that sustainable experience and they\u2019re cautious about where they\u2019re travelling to,\u201d she said. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt also highlights that our government\u2019s policy about sustainable tourism underpins the changes that we want to introduce to safeguard our environment and cultures for the future of our generations.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Brisbane and Sydney events\u00a0showcased 19 local operators, giving advisors the opportunity to connect directly with suppliers and discover experiences spanning the islands, from marine adventures to nature-based tourism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Both events featured cultural performances by Chief Edgar Hinge, highlighting the importance of living traditions and cultural connection to Vanuatu\u2019s national identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI hope that the travel advisors and trade partners are able to see that Vanuatu is a gem. It\u2019s that rough diamond,\u201d Aru said. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a destination for the flop and drop. We do have that, but it\u2019s much more than that. It\u2019s deeper. It is something that speaks to your heart. And that\u2019s the important part.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n VTO is already preparing to take Tok Tok back to Vanuatu in 2027, giving international trade partners another opportunity to connect with local operators and experience new product offerings firsthand.<\/p>\n \u201cTaking Tok Tok back to Vanuatu in 2027 allows the opportunity<\/span> for more operators to reconnect with our trade partners and to be able to tell the stories, showcase new product offerings and talk about changes that are happening in the industry,\u201d Aru said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen we start looking at the investment happening in the destination, it will support our airline partners, it will also support our travel partners, and so then everybody has a win-win.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n kabarsula SLOT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has taken its signature Tok Tok roadshow to Australia for the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabarsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Australian arrivals on the rise<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Travellers](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/iStock-1204701079-1024x767.jpg\"\/)
![\"Travellers](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/iStock-1204701079-1024x767.jpg\")
Shifting traveller demand<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Reconnecting with travel advisors<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Untitled-design-46-658x1024.jpg\"\/)
![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Untitled-design-46-658x1024.jpg\")
Tok Tok 2027\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n