More than a year on from the December 2024 earthquake that devastated the country, how is tourism to Vanuatu faring – and how much work is there still to be done to rebuild the capital and gateway Port Vila?
In a statement, the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) says the island nation is “steadily reclaiming its momentum”. But with nearly 20 per cent growth in visitation, it might be selling itself short.
“2025 marked a strong comeback year for Vanuatu. We’re proud to report that Australian arrivals between January and November were up 18 per cent, compared to the total arrival numbers for 2024,” VTO CEO Adela Issachar Aru tells Karryon in an exclusive interview.
“This growth is encouraging and reflects renewed confidence in the destination, our improved air access – three major airlines now service the destination – and strong demand from Australians looking for an escape close to home.”
One of the biggest sellers of holidays to Vanuatu, My Holiday, confirms the growth in visitation.
“Vanuatu has well and truly regained momentum,” says Paul Yui, General Manager of My Holiday, a subsidiary of Ignite Travel Group.
“For My Holiday, 2025 was our biggest year on record for the destination, with bookings up 40 per cent on 2024.
“That traction has accelerated into 2026, with January bookings already tracking 135 per cent ahead of the same period last year.”
With bookings soaring for the business, My Holiday even launched a diplomat-style fast lane for arrivals and departures at the country’s main gateway, Port Vila’s Bauerfield International Airport, saving “up to 45 minutes in arrival queues” for its customers.
“We’re confident 2026 will continue to be a strong year for Vanuatu,” Yip tells Karryon.
With demand surging again for the Pacific nation, Qantas will increase its Brisbane-Port Vila flights to a daily service from March 2026 (until 24 October 2026). Solomon Airlines also recently announced it’s adding two flights per week between Brisbane and Espiritu Santo from April to meet rising demand. While tourism to the country is returning to levels not seen since 2019, Vanuatu is still rebuilding following the quake.
Port Vila’s CBD was hit hard by the tremors, and while it is “largely operational”, according to Aru, some areas are “still undergoing construction”.
The main road to the country’s main cruise port is also “still being worked on”, so since cruise ships returned to Port Vila Harbour in August, they’ve been docking directly along the city’s waterfront.
But Adela says this has the upside of allowing visitors to “step straight into town as soon as they arrive, with immediate access to the markets, shops and cafes”.
“We’re expecting to see even more cruise calls this year compared to 2025,” she adds.
With the Port Vila Harbour waterfront “all open”, Aru says the city’s popular Mamas markets, along with “several cafes and shops” in the CBD, are operating normally.
Hotels update
More than a year since the quake, some hotels are still out of action, but the majority have reopened – with many returning with enhancements.
“We’re excited to share that more than 90 per cent of our hotels and resorts have reopened after spending the last year undergoing restorations and refurbishments,” Aru says.
“Many of our key properties are welcoming guests again, including The Havannah as well as Holiday Inn, which is open for stays while its leisure and dining facilities are expected to open by mid-2026.”
One of the most anticipated returns will be the 6 March reopening of the country’s most distinctive property (and only high-rise hotel), the Grand Hotel and Casino.
Since its closure, the property has undergone extensive refurbishment, including a refreshment of its 74 rooms and suites, upgraded facilities and an exterior paint job.
The hotel says it has even been bolstered with “strengthened internal framing, modern lightweight structural materials, and a full re‑engineering of its core systems” to combat any future events.
“After a period of rebuilding and strengthening, the Grand is back and better than ever,” Grand Hotel & Casino Vanuatu Managing Director Bettina Mahieu says.
“This reopening celebrates resilience, pride, and hospitality. We’re thrilled to invite our guests, patrons, team, and the community back to enjoy the experiences they know and love, now refreshed and strengthened for the future.”
Elsewhere, VTO says Espiritu Santo has “some exciting updates for this year”.
“On the barefoot luxury front, Aore Island Resort has reported strong forward bookings for the year while Ratua Private Island Resort is ready to welcome guests with newly restored rooms and a refreshed dining experience,” Aru says.
Optimistic outlook
Looking ahead, VTO’s aims are clear.
“Our overarching goal for this year is to continue building on the momentum of 2025 and strengthen Vanuatu’s position as a preferred holiday destination for Australians,” the VTO boss explains.
“We are aiming to achieve visitation similar to levels seen in 2019. We’re looking to do this in a few ways – maintaining strong partnerships across trade, PR and consumer marketing and bolstering our activity and campaigns in each of these sectors.”
The tourism office is also coming up to 12 months with a dedicated Australian trade representative, “which has helped us deepen our relationships with airlines, wholesalers and travel agents”.
“We’re working closely with partners to contract more experiences too, so travellers can easily build all-inclusive holiday packages,” Adela says.
“We also want to ensure agents feel confident in selling Vanuatu again, so we have invested in rebranding Vanuatu Specialists, with a brand-new website and training program launching in the coming months.”
And on the consumer side, VTO aims to boost social media storytelling and expand its ‘Answer the Call’ platform through new campaigns.
“Ultimately, we want to share Vanuatu’s kastom and beauty with Australians and our goal for 2026 is to make choosing Vanuatu easier, more exciting and more inspiring than ever for all kinds of travellers,” Aru says.
If 2025 is anything to go by, you can bet many Aussies will be answering the call.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Vanuatu’s comeback is real: Aussies are returning in force, trade bookings are booming, but Port Vila’s rebuild continues, reminding advisors momentum and recovery can coexist, and guidance still matters now.
