In front of a packed room of Vanuatu and Queensland government officials, travel trade and media in Brisbane last night, Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kaisakau celebrated Air Vanuatu’s direct Brisbane–Espiritu Santo route, recommencing from 8 June 2023.
“You don’t need a visa, you can rock up anytime,” Mr Kaisakau told the delighted crowd. “After 30 days, if you need a visa and there are complications, you can call the Prime Minister.”
He thanked attendees for attending the event in Brisbane, highlighting the relationship between the two nations.
“The Brisbane–Luganville route is not a new route but it is reinstated because you have stayed the course with us,” Mr Kaisakau said. “But we need you to fill the seats and you will be enriched by the journey you make.”
“We are unlocking the true potential of Espiritu Santo as a world-class tourism destination to fill up connections with the provinces of Vanuatu where most of our 83 islands lie.
“In our provinces, you can discover our most remote and breathtaking experiences at locations that have only seen a handful of visitors each year. They yearn for the Australian visitor to visit and take advantage of the beauty that’s on display when you come to our country.
“We humbly invite you to come and explore Santo, it’s a place that offers a real life-changing adventure and one that we know travellers will love and will stay in your hearts long after you return to your home.”
Santo service restart
The once-weekly return service departed Brisbane Airport on Thursdays with Solomon Airlines to operate the flights on behalf of Air Vanuatu.
The service sees an increase in total air capacity from Australia to Vanuatu and cuts travel time to Espiritu Santo by 2.5 hours for Aussies, who previously connected through Port Vila.
Additionally, the mid-morning departure time allows for easy connectivity within Australia and the arrival time enables seamless connections beyond Luganville to northern islands such as Malekula, Ambrym, Pentecost, Ambae, Banks and Torres Islands.
Two lucky travel trade attendees won lucky door prizes of flight-and-accommodation packages to Santo to experience the island firsthand.
For more info, head to vanuatu.travel/au
