Over the next few weeks I will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses working in the tourism industry.

Over the next few weeks I will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses working in the tourism industry.

Tourism industry stakeholders gathered again yesterday at the Women’s Centre in Luganville to hear a presentation about the future vision for tourism in SANMA Province.

Over the next few weeks I will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses working in the tourism industry.

Article one – setting the scene

The Department of Tourism (DoT) held a workshop at the Grand Hotel on February 7 to discuss the development of a Vanuatu Local Cuisine Revival Strategy.

The Department of Tourism together with the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) hosted the ‘Destination SANMA’ meeting in Luganville earlier this week with over 60 tourism industry members to discuss future opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

The 30th of January celebrated another graduation of the Vanuatu Tourism Ambassador Program at the Hospitality Tourism and Leisure Training Center (HTLTC) Hall.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) wishes to celebrate the life and achievements of VTO Board Member Mike Crawford, who passed away in New Zealand on the 15th of December.

A prominent tourism owner says tourists entering Luganville in 2019 may decline but the government’s decision to divert more international meetings to Santo is keeping the business community busy.

The Sustainable Islands Tourism Conference held in Santo has profoundly highlighted the theme of ‘Protection of Sustainable Tourism Assets.’

The Small Island Tourism (SITC) Conference recently held in Champagne Beach, Santo was officially opened by the Head of State, Pastor, President Moses Talis Obed on Wednesday last week.

Inspired by the incredible display of Vanuatu’s unparalleled beauty and culture as well as the influential discussions presented at the Sustainable Islands Tourism Conference, the Directors of Tourism from Vanuatu, Palau, the Cook Islands, drafted the Statement of Intent for a collaboration …

International delegates attending the Sustainable Islands Tourism Conference in Santo November 26th till 29th will experience firsthand Vanuatu’s unique traditional architecture.

Collaboration is well underway in Port Vila and Luganville to develop the first of six provincial tourism plans to manage future sustainable tourism in Vanuatu.

The first Vanuatu Ecotours Tour Guiding School was recently held at Rentapao and Eratap, and was hailed as a great success by participants.

Princess Cruises’ international megaliner Majestic Princess made her maiden visit to Port Vila yesterday (Tuesday, 22 October) alongside P&O Cruises’ Pacific Aria as part of a special ‘two ship celebration’ for the city.

The Ministry of Trade, Tourism, Commerce and ni Vanuatu Business has successfully sent three men and one woman on a short term Tourism Management Training Course in China.

A delegation of staff from Pacific National Tourism Offices, tourism private sector and the South Pacific Tourism Organization were in Guangzhou China, from 24th June to 4th July to attend the 1st Tourism Human Resource Development and Training Program, an activity which is part of the China…

South Sea Shipping Ltd released its cruise ship arrival bookings for Port Vila in 2020 yesterday. There will be 82 visits in all next year.

Communities in North Maewo have established a new tourism association called the North Maewo Tourism Association (NMTA).

Tourism operators in TORBA Province are back in full operation after the devastation left by Tropical Cyclone Oma in the northern province.

Having experienced the mellowing effects of kava for the first time, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Mark Coulton joked that he is considering opening a kava bar in Canberra. “Maybe that will calm things down a bit,” he quipped.

An article on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council which was published on Monday contained the following errors:

Members of the Airports Taxi Association (ATA) stepped into the new month with new uniforms.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Director for the Asia Pacific, Professor Mihee Kang and the GSTC trainer for Vanuatu Dr Cherise Addinsall has conducted a 3-day GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program and GSTC Independent Auditor Training with guest speakers Mr Fredrick Maclea…

Yesterday, the CEO of the Vanuatu Tourism Office outlined an ambitious plan to revitalise Vanuatu’s tourism sector. Adela Issachar Aru's organisation aims to increase tourist arrivals by air from just over 100,000 per year to 300,000 by 2030.

P&O Cruises has announced a partnership with Live & Learn to deliver Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools improving both health and education in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) Chairman, Robert Avio, said Chinese tourism market is another potential for Vanuatu tourism industry and that the present Government will continue to support and develop strategies and mechanisms to allow more Chinese tourists on Vanuatu shores.

The first Chinese delegation of tourists to Port Vila were impressed.

Deputy Prime Minister Bob Loughman, who is also minister responsible for tourism, gave an upbeat speech yesterday morning at a ceremony opening the Toktok 2018.

The first group of tourists from China under the Vanuatu Tourism Limited (VTL)’s first tour are arriving in Port Vila today.

From Vanuatu’s largest privately-owned media organization, What to Do in Vanuatu (WTD) is an arm of Vanuatu Media Marketing (VMM) and is the official tourist newspaper publication for the Vanuatu Tourism Office.

The North Efate Conservation Management (NECM) Deed has been signed by the Environment Networks and Tourism Associations of North Efate.

The Chairman of the Port Vila Cruise Tourism Committee, John Tonner has called on approximately 200 mamas and papas attending the 60-day Port Vila Wharf Traffic Management Plan Awareness Forum, to maintain worship in all their meetings saying, placing God first at all meetings makes the peop…

Bred Bank, the major sponsor of the Vanuatu Tourism Awards of 2017 to 2018 has declared its support for the next event.

The result of the Bred Bank Vanuatu Tourism Awards for excellence for 2017/2018 held last Saturday at the Convention Center in Port Vila is proof that tourism has improved in outer islands.

The winners of the Vanuatu Bred Bank Tourism Awards for Excellence of 2017 to 2018 have been announced.

The Santo Travel Centre (STC), in close partnership with the Department of Tourism and local industry, commenced the sale of their new cruise day tour packages in Luganville, Espiritu Santo on Friday, 1st of June.

The Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence program started in 2015 as a collaborative effort between the Vanuatu government and the tourism industry to relaunch the tourism awards.

Increasing the capacity of the handicraft sector to meet the growing demands of tourists is the aim of the Handicraft Sector Action Plan that was launched yesterday.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has declared its commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the ‘Skills for Tourism’ program when it presented its Vt2 million contribution to the Vanuatu Skills Partnership yesterday.

A workshop is underway in Port Vila that aims to identify and improve knowledge and skills needed to achieve tourism industrial goals.

A total of 41 finalists have been selected for the Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence 12017/2018 ceremony that will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at the Vanuatu Convention Center in Port Vila from 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

“Since the cruise market is growing rapidly here in Vanuatu, as Acting DG of the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, Industry, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu Business, I would like to see the technical advisory committee come up with a way forward for the cruise industry in Vanuatu and let’s compete with o…

The Graduation Ceremony for the Tourism Transport Ambassadors took place at the Port Vila Convention Centre on the 22nd of March, 2018.

The first group of 45 students have enrolled for the newly introduced Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management degree.

The Government has approved 78 new licenses for recruitment of Vanuatu workers for Recognized Seasonal Employment (RSE) in New Zealand and Seasonal Workers Program (SWP) in Australia and renewed the 33 current licenses taking the total license holders to 111.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has a ‘good’ plan all set out for 2018.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, responsible for public land transport, Andrew Napuat, has expressed grave disappointment at the behavior of two bus drivers displayed in the front page article of the Daily Post Monday that nearly cost the lives of two elderly Canadian tourists.