Grand Hotel and Casino Vanuatu is continuing it’s a$4.5million refurbishment, with all 74 guest rooms expected to have a new look by March-April next year.

While no major structural work is involved, the rooms will have new furniture, a fresh coat of paint, smart TVs, new headboards and lighting, plus cosmetic changes in the bathrooms.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office and Vanuatu Post Ltd have relaunched the Vanuatu Volcano Post Box, at the rim of Mt. Yasur, on the island of Tanauta (widely known as Tanna).

Vanuatu Tourism Office has worked with accommodation providers to collate a series of videos that show what their product is looking like.

‘We know it is a difficult time to try and get agents on famils with the industry still facing staff shortages. Having full confidence in recommending places for their clients to stay can be a real challenge,’ says Jacquie Carson, VTO’s NZ market representative. 

Vanuatu tourism has launched a new Welkam Back to Vanuatu! campaign in New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia.

The advertising showcases Vanuatu’s tourism offering across radio, outdoor and digital and social.

Air Vanuatu will resume its services to Port Vila from Auckland in July, following Vanuatu’s reopening of its border to international travellers on 1 July 2022.

NF will operate a twice-weekly non-stop Boeing 737 service on (3hr 15 flight duration) from Auckland to Port Vila on Wednesday and Saturday departing 1210, commencing 2 July 2022. Air Vanuatu will also resume flights from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Port Vila as of 1 July.

Nasama Resort and Breaka’s Beach Resort joined forces to hold Vanuatu’s first vaccination party over the weekend. 

Anyone was welcome to come along, get vaccinated, and share some kai kai (dinner) and enjoy the entertainment. It was held at Nasama Resort’s new restaurant, The Three Pigs, and 380 people received their first or second dose on the day.

Moves are afoot to have four UNESCO Geoparks established in the Pacific, a development expected to boost tourism in a sustainable way while focusing on not only geology but also culture.

It is possible that these and others may form a ‘Geopark trail’ around the Pacific.

At a South Pacific Tourism Office (supported by the South Pacific Community, SPC) webinar this week, it was noted that a number of steps needed to be taken at all sites (some more than others) before a submission could be made to UNESCO.

Clean, Caring and Checked is the new mantra of tourism businesses across Vanuatu, under the Vanuatu Government’s Safe Business Operations (SBO) programme. 

The Covid safety training is a required preparation for business restarts and all tourism staff are encouraged to undertake it across the 83 islands.

‘We must protect not only visitors but also our tourism staff and families. This training will ensure businesses are prepared to get back on their feet and provide our people with the confidence to greet visitors to Vanuatu,’ says Rae Ernest, safe business operations coordinator.  ‘

Yesterday marked a border milestone between Vanuatu and New Zealand as 154 seasonal workers arrived in Christchurch with the commencement of the one-way travel bubble from Vanuatu to New Zealand.

‘The new travel bubble establishes a series of new protocols in both Vanuatu and New Zealand to create this safe travel pathway,’ says Len Tarivonda, director of Vanuatu’s Public Health. ‘It is the first stage in testing the systems we have put in place in Vanuatu and ensuring our citizens are prepared for travel.

‘Naturally we are hopeful that this will lead to two-way travel between our countries – however we need to take it step by step to ensure our preparations are sound,’ says Tarivonda.

Vanuatu Tourism Office’s latest campaign, We’re Saving You A Spot, aims to motivate travellers to put Vanuatu on their holiday list.

The office says Vanuatu has remained Covid free and is ‘cautiously holding discussions and looking to open borders with New Zealand.’